The Die is Cast - What South Africa's Vote Means

The electorate has, in a sense, mumbled, not clearly expressing itself. In particular, it seems Kwazulu Natal witnessed some indecisiveness at the time of voting.

Now let’s review the election results: Nationwide, the ruling ANC has lost about 17% compared to the last election and, with just over 40% of the votes, has missed the absolute majority for the first time since 1994.

In the Western Cape, our second home, the DA (Democratic Alliance) confidently defended its absolute majority with 55%. This is excellent news for us, and it seems likely the Western Cape will continue its successful governance. Everything operates better in that region than in many others, not because of, but in spite of the government in Pretoria.

The election outcome in Kwazulu Natal is particularly absurd, with former President Jacob Zuma emerging victorious with his newly acquired party “uMkhonto weSizwe” (the Spear of the Nation), garnering over 45%. This is the man with a notorious past, known for questionable beliefs regarding HIV and engaging in significant corruption regarding state resources.

The implications of this election for South Africa remain to be seen. A coalition with Zuma’s new party is practically excluded, as is collaboration with extremist Julius Malema, given his untenable demands.

Only 14 days after the election results are released, on June 17, the newly elected parliament will convene to choose a new president. This might take several rounds of voting. If no new president is elected within 30 days, fresh elections will be announced.

We will keep an eye on this topic and update you on the key points, though next week will see us prepare a completely different subject.