Bela Act, rise of MKP and Shivambu leaving EFF the top politics stories
As the year 2024 gravitates towards the end, Sunday World reflects on major political events and pertinent issues that dominated the landscape.
ANC loses majority
Africa’s oldest liberation movement, the ANC, will remember 2024 as the year it was embarrassingly dislodged from power it has been enjoying since the dawn of democracy in 1994.
The ANC, which has been in power for 30 years, dropped to 40 percent in landmark elections, forcing it to co-govern with opposition parties in government of national unity (GNU).
Bela Act
The Basic Education Laws Amendment Act (Bela Act), is one of the most contentious issues affecting the GNU.
The ANC and other parties are in favour of this controversial piece of legislation, while the DA and Freedom Front Plus believe the law will erode Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in schools.
Clause 4 of the Bela Act provides for a provincial head of education to override a school’s language policy, an authority that currently rests with school governing bodies.
Clause 5 provides for the provincial head of department to control admission policies.
Afrikaner lobby groups such as AfriForum have called for the scrapping of these clauses. Legal action will follow whatever route President Cyril Ramaphosa takes.
The EFF has threatened to take legal action if the Act does not eventually get passed in its current form.
ANC, DA forge alliance
After all political parties campaigned against the ANC in this year’s general elections, they ended up having to put their differences aside and form a government led by the ANC.
The GNU is perhaps the most contentious event in SA’s political history because it forced the DA to work with the ANC after vowing never to do so.
The formation of a national government also saw the IFP back in national government, working together with the ANC. However, the cooperation between the DA and the ANC, made it clear that there are no permanent friends or enemies in politics.
Since then, the pact has had to grapple with the DA and ANC’s convergent views, which continue to pose a threat to the GNU’s stability.
One cannot help but wonder whether the arrangement will last for the next five years.
Shivambu’s quits the EFF
This year, Julius Malema, the leader of the EFF, faced a significant setback when his deputy and confidante Floyd Shivambu announced his departure from the red berets. Malema compared Shivambu’s resignation to his own mother’s death and assured him that the EFF would always welcome him back.
Despite this, the breakdown in friendship between the two political leaders has continued to play out in the public domain. While Shivambu continued his journey as a member of Jacob Zuma’s MKP, his former associates in the EFF still expressed their
disdain for him.
Shivambu was promoted to MKP secretary-general and appears to be developing a close relationship with Zuma. After initially making threats, Malema seems to have accepted the situation and is working to strengthen the EFF.
Arrest warrants for Israeli leaders
Former justice minister Ronald Lamola stands at the forefront of a bold campaign to hold Israel accountable for the atrocities in the Gaza Strip.
Lamola’s unyielding pursuit of justice even after his deployment to international relations, has culminated in the issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Yoav Gallant.
This monumental action charges them with heinous crimes against humanity and war crimes, marking a pivotal moment in the pursuit of global justice.
Lamola’s relentless advocacy has shattered the silence that too often surrounds the plight of Palestinians, drawing the world’s gaze to their suffering.
Critics may squirm, but Lamola’s actions speak volumes: silence in the face of genocide is complicity.
The minister’s efforts challenged the status quo, demanding accountability from powerful nations.
This bold manoeuvre could redefine international law and set a precedent for holding global leaders accountable.
The implications are profound, signalling a shift in how the world addresses war crimes and human rights abuses.
Lamola’s audacious stance serves as a clarion call for justice, echoing the cries of the oppressed and calling for a new world order.
The IFP’s resurgence
Following the death of IFP founder Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, many predicted the party’s decline.
Contrary to expectations, the IFP increased its vote share from 16.4% in 2019 to 18% in the 2024 elections, securing an additional seat in the KwaZulu-Natal legislature and leading the province under a government of provincial unity.
IFP chairman Thami Ntuli attributes its success to its focus on essential issues and maintaining Buthelezi’s solid foundation.
The party also made significant gains in municipal by-elections, including areas traditionally dominated by the ANC.
Despite its electoral success, the IFP faces internal factional challenges, particularly ahead of its 2025 conference. The tussle for leadership of the party will test the IFP’s unity, especially ahead of the 2026 municipal elections.
The ANC, once dominant in the province, saw its support plummet from 54% to 17%, landing it as the third-largest party in the legislature.
This drop has sparked discussions about leadership stability within the ANC, though its provincial leadership currently remains intact, with Deputy President Paul Mashatile assuring there were no plans to disband the provincial executive.
MKP shakes SA politics
In a dramatic political comeback, Zuma has re-emerged as a formidable force in South African politics. By forming the MKP, he captured 12.7% of the national vote in the May 29 general elections, securing 54 parliamentary seats, and displacing the ANC as the top party in KZN.
The MKP’s success extended beyond KZN, becoming the official opposition in Mpumalanga and resonating with disenchanted voters nationwide. Zuma’s populist appeal and strategic brilliance have silenced critics and analysts who had declared him a spent force.
Zuma’s ability to connect with ordinary South Africans through speeches filled with liberation nostalgia and criticism of ANC leadership has broadened his appeal.
His use of the name Umkhonto weSizwe, once the ANC’s military wing, tapped into emotional loyalty among former ANC members and liberation veterans. Nkandla, previously a symbol of scandal, has become a symbol of political defiance.
With 54 seats in Parliament, MK has become a significant political player, shaping SA policy direction.
Zuma’s political resurrection underscores his enduring influence and ability to rewrite the rules of South African politics.
