South Africa’s coalition experiment is showing signs of deep instability, and this week’s political turmoil has only reinforced it.
In Tshwane, the DA is preparing to challenge the ruling on the no-confidence vote against Deputy Mayor Eugene Modise, who's from the ANC. Over in Johannesburg, Helen Zille is reportedly eyeing the mayoral seat currently occupied by Dada Morero, while the city has controversially reappointed Floyd Brink as city manager, despite previous court rulings questioning his appointment.
The turbulence isn’t confined to Gauteng. In KwaZulu-Natal, the ANC has ordered its deployee, Siphile Mdaka, the former uMkhanyakude District Municipality mayor, to resign as deputy mayor. Mdaka was ousted by the IFP.
Meanwhile, the president of the National Freedom Party (NFP), Ivan Barnes, wants his party, which occupies one seat in the KZN legislature, to pull out of the government of provincial unity (GPU), a view echoed by the ANC Youth League, which is urging the ANC to reconsider its role in the coalition.
The NFP's seat is crucial in the 80-seat legislature, as it gives the GPU, made up of the IFP, ANC and the DA, a minimal advantage of 41 seats. The party now wants to form a coalition with the EFF and uMkhonto weSizwe Party, which received the most votes in KZN in last year's elections.
All these developments suggest that South Africa’s new era of coalition politics is struggling to find stability.
The 2024 general elections ended three decades of majority rule and ushered in a new, more fragmented political reality. Voters made it clear they no longer trust one party to govern alone. Instead of cooperation, coalitions have brought power struggles, shifting alliances, and leadership battles that have paralysed governance in many municipalities.
There is a lack of a clear legal framework for coalitions and rules to manage disputes, leadership changes, and the collapse of agreements. Without that, every coalition remains a delicate union of convenience.
The road ahead will require political maturity, legislative reform, and a professional public service insulated from political interference and backstabbing.
South Africans can't be led by unstable and unpredictable structures.