How 2024 changed South Africa forever

The country’s elections marked a historic turning point, with the ANC losing its parliamentary majority for the first time since 1994

South Africa’s national and provincial elections on May 29, 2024, will be remembered as the moment the country’s political foundations were irreversibly shaken. 

On the 30th anniversary of the 1994 democratic elections – a milestone that marked the end of apartheid and the dawn of majority rule – the 2024 elections upended the political status quo, ushering in an era of coalition governance and splintered loyalties.

For the first time since the advent of democracy, the African National Congress (ANC) lost its majority in Parliament, a crushing defeat that reflected growing public discontent with its leadership. 

Years of corruption scandals, an energy crisis that plunged the nation into darkness, chronic water shortages, and a stalling economy had eroded faith in the party that once symbolized hope and liberation.

Pre-election polls had predicted a dip below 50%, but few could have foreseen the ANC’s dramatic fall to just 40% of the vote. 

The ANC’s historic loss forced it into the unprecedented position of forming a coalition government – an unthinkable scenario in its heyday.

The coalition, billed as a government of national unity, brought together an unlikely mix of ideological adversaries. Alongside the ANC sits the Democratic Alliance (DA), the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), the Freedom Front Plus, Build One South Africa (BOSA), the Patriotic Alliance, and the United Democratic Movement (UDM).

This uneasy alliance left many ANC loyalists outraged. The idea of the ANC, a storied liberation movement, partnering with parties whose members were tied to the apartheid regime, was seen as a betrayal of its principles.

The most significant blow to the ANC’s fortunes came from within its own ranks.

Former President Jacob Zuma, launched a breakaway party, the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, named after the ANC’s former armed wing. 

Under Zuma’s leadership, the MK Party captured 14% of the national vote, with strongholds in KwaZulu-Natal and among disillusioned ANC voters.

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Zuma’s vocal criticism of ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa deepened divisions within the party.

Although Zuma maintained his ANC membership, his parallel campaign siphoned off critical votes, further weakening the ANC’s position.

Analysts agree that Zuma’s defection was the decisive factor in the ANC’s inability to secure a majority.

The 2024 elections saw a record 52 parties contesting the national ballot, highlighting the fractured and volatile nature of South Africa’s political landscape. 

Voter turnout, however, plummeted to a historic low of 58.6%, reflecting widespread disillusionment with the political class.

The DA remained the official opposition, securing 21.8% of the vote, though it fell short of its ambitious goal of reaching 30%. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) also lost ground, capturing just 9% of the electorate, as the MK Party siphoned off support from its leftist base.

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The MK Party’s calls for radical policies such as the nationalization of mines and land expropriation resonated with a segment of the population hungry for radical change. 

Despite allegations of electoral fraud from Zuma’s camp, the party’s rise demonstrated the growing appetite for populist alternatives.

The election results signified more than the ANC’s decline – they marked the end of single-party dominance in South Africa and the beginning of coalition politics.

What was clear though is that leftist ideologies still hold sway – 65% of the vote went to the ANC, MK Party, and EFF combined.

For many first time voters and “born frees” the slogan of 2024, “2024 is our 1994,” encapsulated the desire for a second liberation, this time from misgovernance and unfulfilled promises. 

As the ANC navigates its diminished role within a coalition government, the future of South African politics remains uncertain.

The year 2024 will go down in history as the year South Africa turned a corner.

Whether this new era delivers the change so desperately sought by voters, only time will tell.

First published by IOL