Open this photo in gallery:South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the Africa Aerospace and Defense 2024 trade exhibition held at Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria on 18 September and met with South African Defense Secretary General Luzani Mapwanya. Phil Magakoe/AFP/Getty Images
After 100 days in power, South Africa’s coalition government has boosted the national economy and won support from foreign investors, but now faces growing threats from domestic rebellion and political turmoil in major cities. There is.
The new Cabinet, which was sworn in on July 3 following a power-sharing agreement, marks its 100th day in office on Friday, with initial reforms such as strengthening the national currency and stable electricity supplies for the country, and optimism for success. My perspective has increased. How many years has it been?
But at the local level, the coalition is in disarray, causing chaos in city governments increasingly struggling with water shortages and aging infrastructure.
Rand Water, Johannesburg’s main water supplier, warned over the weekend that its system could approach “total collapse” if city authorities do not take urgent action to deal with the crisis. City governments, including Johannesburg’s, are hampered by political infighting that the National Coalition has not been able to resolve.
The coalition government is dominated by two major parties: the long-term ruling African National Congress, which lost a large number of votes in May’s national elections, and the main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA). Together, these reassured investors and strengthened the country’s currency, the rand, leading to predictions of lower inflation, lower interest rates and faster economic growth.
Skeptics had questioned whether the left-wing ANC would be able to find an agreement with liberal, pro-market MPs, but they agreed to reach agreement on issues such as work visas and allow more skilled workers to enter the country. was allowed. A newly released opinion poll shows that support for both parties has increased since the coalition government was formed.
A survey of 1,204 people conducted by the Social Research Foundation last month found that nearly 60% of South Africans said the coalition government was working well, compared to 60% who felt the coalition was performing poorly. Only 21% of people said so. Support for the ANC rose to 45% four months after it won just 40% of the vote in the election.
However, while the coalition government enjoys the support of moderates in the ANC, including President Cyril Ramaphosa, it has received support from internal factions of populists and economic nationalists who dislike working with the DA, traditionally seen as a white minority party. facing opposition. They prefer deals with more radical parties, such as the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the fourth-largest party in parliament, which promotes the nationalization of mines and industries.
The faction’s main ally is Panyaza Lesufi, an influential ANC official and premier of Gauteng province, the country’s economic center and most populous region. In both Johannesburg and the metropolitan municipality of Tshwane, where Pretoria is located, Lesufi elected new mayors while removing the DA and brokered deals to incorporate the EFF into government.
This sparked anger from DA and ANC leaders, who accused Mr Lesufi of violating the coalition agreement.
DA federal council chair Helen Gill said the Tshwane election was a “seismic event” that exposed the ANC’s responsibility for “chronic instability” in the city. She announced that the DA would withdraw from negotiations to stabilize several other city governments where the ANC relied on DA support.
Political dealings between the ANC and the EFF have prolonged the political turmoil that has severely affected several cities in recent years as basic services deteriorate. Johannesburg has had nine mayors in the past five years, and Tshwane has had six mayors since 2017. At the same time, the water crisis is worsening in many areas, with frequent shutdowns and large-scale leaks from broken pipes.
Mr Ramaphosa’s ally, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, tried to persuade the party to reprimand Mr Lesufi for breaching the coalition agreement, but the party executive decided to drop the matter.
This conflict could be a precursor to a conflict that could jeopardize the coalition at the national level. Tensions are already rising over ANC policies that the DA opposes. On Friday, DA leader John Steenhuisen announced the party’s potential deal, including the ANC’s plan to eliminate each school’s autonomy to choose the language of instruction, which the DA perceives as a threat to the language rights of Afrikaners. Announcing the broken list. few.
The government had previously agreed to postpone these provisions of the new education law for three months, but a political clash appears to be imminent.
But Ramaphosa insists the coalition government will last forever. “I’m too scared to think about anything else,” he said last month.