This past weekend our country marked a milestone Freedom Day, 30 years since the first democratic election in 1994. As we head into a new era for South Africa, voters should not be satisfied that the same names, ideologies and ideas sit on the ballot as we had in 1994 — just with different colours and some new logos. That is why 2024 cannot be our 1994: it requires something brand new.
Last Wednesday’s by-elections — likely the last before the national and provincial elections at the end of the month — inform this. The outcomes of these by-elections typify the inherent need for a nonracial umbrella party to hold the centre and provide the platform for building one South Africa. And they are a stern warning as to dangers of division ahead of what is likely to be the most fiercely contested election since 1994.
The by-elections corroborate what many opinion polls are predicting about fragmentation of support for the traditionally larger parties. Ethno-nationalist parties are all on the rise and growing: the Patriotic Alliance (PA), the MK Party, FF+ and IFP principally. This trend is undeniably informed by the complexity of our past, which still lives with us today. Underneath the veneer of a national collective is a hotbed of division that can be stoked without much effort.
If we fail to build one South Africa in the rational centre of our society, demography will become destiny — and we are then headed for implosion.
Wise, collaborative and intelligent leadership is required to manage this delicate democracy which has only just turned 30. Yet instead of doing the hard yards of mature consensus building, most politicians and parties have taken the easy route: pick a lane — be it race, religion, tribe or ethnicity — and mobilise around that. This is political opportunism 101. Leaders who pursue this brand of politics are a hindrance to building a country where all who live in it can prosper and live together peacefully.
The next chapter in South Africa’s history — the next 30 years — begins now. It requires dedicated leadership to take the tough decisions and make the right calls on societal issues that continue to prevent our progress.
The complexity can be witnessed at every juncture of life. How do we deal with the issue of land and housing? Populism suggests simply playing musical chairs with property. That, of course, cannot and does not work. What about balancing redress with nation building? In most communities the economic disparity created and maintained by apartheid still exists. Wealthy white, poor black. More recently, there exists a further conundrum where we see wealthy black and poor white living in near proximity. Navigating this fragile space is challenging work.
In healthcare, stark inequality still exists. Superb, world-class healthcare at private hospitals is available to all. However, the majority of citizens cannot afford the sky-high service — often laden with hidden costs. For most, it is understaffed, under-resourced and overcrowded hospitals and clinics run by an inept health department. This is a justice issue as much as it is a healthcare issue and requires deep and detailed interventions. One side of the populists will push for nationalisation, which will cripple all public health care in South Africa.
The other populists will say deport all the foreigners who are overcrowding health facilities. Again, simplistic and untrue. Our approach seeks a new pathway. When Build One South Africa (Bosa) was launched on Heritage Day in 2022, we committed to the people of South Africa that this new political platform will appear on the ballot paper in 2024 as an umbrella body for community organisations across the country.
We recognised that no single party can stand alone and represent the will of many vastly diverse communities across the country in parliament. Rather, it will take smaller groupings of citizens who are community-based — and community biased — to all coalesce under one umbrella body.
With Bosa as the national anchor party at the rational centre of South African politics, we aimed to gather several smaller parties under one banner to mount a united challenge to the current ruling class and bring change to our country.
I recently announced the first seven partners under this umbrella, with at least two more in advanced talks. Why is this significant? Because within this framework, vision, ideas and needs are central, not identity. A Muslim and a Jew can coexist under the same umbrella and work out a solution to challenges constructively and collectively.
Other parties appear to be headed towards a new era of Bantustans. A Christian Bantustan under the African Christian Democratic Party. A Zulu Bantustan under the IFP and MK Party. A coloured Bantustan under the PA. And a Western Cape Bantustan under the DA. The choice is crisp and clear.
To paraphrase the famous WB Yeats poem, things fall apart if the centre cannot hold. Bosa offers the centre. And this is vital for the success of our country. As political parties are leading society to regress back to racial, cultural and religious laagers, we must consider the Bosa alternative. If we fail to build one South Africa in the rational centre of our society, demography will become destiny — and we are then headed for implosion.
• Maimane is leader of Bosa
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.