The red-hot question then becomes one on voter choices. Why do people continue to vote for the ANC? One of the most simplistic yet relevant answers would be that it is the liberation movement. It is the party that liberated the oppressed groups and because of that, there is a sense that it is the one party that has the best interests of the liberated majority. Others would argue there is a void in South African politics. In other words, people do not feel a sense of belonging to any party other than the ANC. In essence, there is no viable and trustworthy alternative. Some would argue that there is a sense of indebtedness to ‘Mandela’s party’, what some continue to characterise as ‘Madiba magic: concurrent instances where people follow and adore the ANC  at the mention of the Mandela name.

Electoral system keeps the ANC in power

One would then ask if the ANC kept getting elected to government, how then would those who did not do so through the ballot box achieve it? To answer this, some argue that it is the electoral system that is an enabler for the ANC to remain in power. They propose that perhaps electoral reform would be the best route to eliminate the ANC from power. This is an interesting outlook given the fact that it is a proposal to change the way elections are carried out motivated only with the aim of removing the ANC from power. What proponents of electoral reform argue is that if citizens’ vote for individuals and not political parties, then that would be a ticket to remove the ANC. An observer would see that as a route to pursue but another could hold the view that it is the tactic of trying to remove a democratically elected party from power, which goes against the will of the people and which could obviously be seen as going against the key principle of democracy.

The EFF and its allies recently took part in a protest with the aim of ejecting President Cyril Ramaphosa from office. While protesting may be their democratic right, there are bones of contention with this approach. Ramaphosa is a democratically elected president. He represents a democratically elected government. People made a choice to put the ANC into power. The ANC made a choice to be led by Cyril Ramaphosa. I am in no way arguing that Ramaphosa and his party do not have flaws. I am not denying the social, economic, and energy problems of South Africa. I am arguing that to remove the ANC from power, the EFF and its allies must win elections. The amendment of election procedures may not necessarily yield the desired outcome. It might instead lead to undesired consequences which a lot of us have not taken the time to imagine.

An analogy I draw is that of football. You do not change the rules because one team is beating the others. You do not move the goalposts because one team is scoring over the others. You instead strengthen other teams so they can compete with the dominant team. If they are not yet at the stage where they can beat the winning team, you recommend that they go back to the drawing board and revise their tactics. That is exactly what alternative political parties ought to be doing. If the only thing that’s wrong with the country’s electoral regime is the fact that ANC keeps winning, then electoral reform is a desperate attempt to undermine the will of the majority that keeps voting for the ANC. It is a backdoor attempt to go against the will of the people. 

Removing the ANC from power doesn’t need a change in the electoral system it requires the following:

Voter Education: 

Voter education is especially important. It is not just about telling citizens who to vote for. It is about them appreciating the significance of voting and what voting means for life post-elections. Voting is a demonstration of confidence in the political and policy intent of whoever you are voting for. It is a demonstration of granting them permission to make decisions on your behalf and to carry your aspirations for the country. A refusal to vote is a demonstration of being nonchalant on matters affecting how you will experience life and citizenship after the elections.

Demonstrate credibility 

Credibility has got to do with being trusted by citizens. It has got to do with how you prove that you are worthy of carrying the aspirations of citizens and that inevitably has to do with how one conducts oneself. Opposition parties must prove themselves to be believable and worthy of trust. Credibility requires opposition parties to be engaged, strong, and reliable. This can be achieved through being imaginative in how they aspire to lead the country applied through the national tools of development, diplomacy, and defence of the will of the people.

Altruistic and moral leadership

Altruism is the quality of not acting for the purposes of your individual benefit, but for reasons external to you and your immediate kinships. Part of the factors perpetuating corruption and self-centred leadership that in inaccessible and detached from the lived realities of citizens. A political party and its government is altruistic when it is motivated by a desire to benefit someone other than oneself for that person’s sake.