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Given the failures of the government and the anti-poor agenda of the right-wing parties, MPHUTLANE WA BOFELO writes that there is hard work and critical action needed by the left outside the political formations to rescue the country from a bleak future.
THE key ‘selling point’ of the ANC in the 2024 elections is that South Africa cannot afford a weak government that is incapable of taking decisions and acting decisively. This is coupled with the message that the ANC is the only party that has demonstrated capacity to maintain the political stability and social cohesion that is necessary for development and transformation to take place.
This ‘selling point’ is based on the notion that coalition government at local level in South Africa is largely characterised by instability, uncertainty and political divisions and tensions.
The messaging of the ANC is that the same is likely to be the case with a coalition government at national level.
This messaging is itself based on the assumption that none of the political parties – except the ANC – has the capacity to gain an outright majority and that none of them have exhibited the capacity to unite South Africa and to govern for the benefit of all South Africans. Hence , the electioneering mantra of the ANC is: ‘Only the ANC can govern. Only the ANC can unite South Africa’.
On the other hand, the key ‘selling point’ of the various other political parties is that South Africa cannot afford to continue on the path of a failing, dysfunctional, inept and unscrupulous government.
This position is informed by the lived experience of South Africans on the ground. For an example, last week , on the WhatsApp group of the soccer academy that my son attends, the coach reported that they are still running around to find a private service provider who can cut the grass at the soccer field because the municipality openly said it simply does not have the money to cut the grass.
One can go to town about many very basic services that remain a luxury and are simply inaccessible or unaffordable for the majority of South Africans.
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For right-wing and centrist parties fixing South Africa requires trimming the size of the government, slashing public expenditure and reducing the wage bill and keeping a leash on labour and social demands, and giving the private sector a free ride. It is not difficult to see that is something that the working-class and the under-classes cannot afford.
Unfortunately, one can hardly talk of a coherent left agenda or left platform within the parties currently in government or contesting to have seats in government.
Beyond the rhetoric of ‘transformation’, socialist slogans and social democratic speak, there is no cogent agenda or solid united platform for the left to speak of in parliamentary politics in South Africa. Similarly, the left outside of parliament has this far faltered with regards to building a solid united platform and expressing a cogent agenda and political programme. This is the area in which painful thought, critical reflection, innovative thinking and hard work and critical action is required. Without this, the future looks bleak for South Africa.
- mphutlane wa bofelo is a cultural worker, learning and development facilitator and political theorist who focuses on the interface between politics, governance and development, and strategy and leadership.
