Democracy 2024 (Day One) — 15 days to reshape a country

South Africa cannot endure indefinitely as a unitary state. The sensible option would be for the Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal to leave as autonomous regions. Unfortunately that will not not happen because there are few with the necessary courage to admit the obvious.

In addition to the ANC, the big, big losers in the election were the liberal press, who for years have spared no effort in trashing the DA. Multiple journalists on this site, such as Rebecca Davis and Melanie Verwoerd, and the little beta males over at News24, Aapdriaan Basson et al, carp, yowl and complain about the DA. They moan and scream about the white leadership of the DA. They wet their little panties about the DA rejecting racist AA and racist EE. As Frans Cronje puts it, the DA has to campaign against the liberal media too. Hundreds of millions of corporate money were then wasted on supposed alternatives to the DA, in the form of Rise Mzansi and Bosa, only for these to get slaughtered in the election, with a paltry two seats each. These two offer exactly what the little News24 beta males and the journalists here regularly scream and yowl about; black leaders and the adoption of racist AA and racist BEE. Except the black electorate clearly don't want this. No, it is only the little virtue-signaling journos who fantasized about this. The black electorate wants full-on socialist, racist parties, like MK. Will the journos whose fantasies and DA trashing have been shown up so badly, now see the error of their ways? If I was them, I'd resign in disgrace and go sell t-shirts at the flee market, after their years-long trashing of the DA completely humiliated them.

Everybody loves a drama. Other than DA and ANC agreeing that (1) DA will vote for CR in first sitting of Parliament and (2) that other coalitions will include at least both parties rather than ANC+obscure small party; there is no urgent need for a grand coalition. The DA+ANC is over 201 needed to appoint CR. Parliament can function without a majority party or majority coalition. It will be good for the country if coalitions are not farces as what happened with ANC and irrelevant parties when ANC needed to get to 50+1 in a council or metro. If the DA gets at least that concession from negotiations, great. We can expect that EFF and MK will disrupt ongoing proceedings in Parliament. That is also fine, just continue and vote without them - I am fairly sure the rules mostly require a majority of votes, not 201 votes.

Come on, just say it: "Thank you DA voters".

Lol. The fact that the DAnhas an optics problem cannot be more strongly emphasized than it was in this election. Against a massive loss by the ruling party the DA recovered a tiny portion of its losses from the previous election. And the number of voters that did not vote increased substantially. This election, for the DA is exactly the failure that the press writes about. They need the centrist black vote and theybare not getting it because every black leader they have had they could not work with. If there are any resignations afoot, Steenhuizen has to be the first tongo, but true to form he cannot see why! That all said its immaterial now. As much as I dont agree with Zille in her position there is no doubt whatsoever that she is right person, along with Leon, to handle these negotiations. I would have loved to see Pappas in the mix but the dearth of black faces is going to be used to fuel the DA is racist narrative that they have done bugger all to correct. Principles are great, but we have a country's future at stake and if the DA had managed its principles better in the election it would be playing from a far stronger hand. Stil, it is what we have left now and there is bugger all any ofnus can do about it. Godspeed to both teams.

400 seats in the assembly - by my count ANC / EFF / MKP / PA coalition has 265 seats. 268 seats are required to change the constitution by my calcs (67%). This coalition needs just another 3 seats which it can get from PAC / Al Jama-ah etc. Then it would be good bye South Africa. Reserve Bank gone, other hey requirements in constitution gone. Markets will totally tank, rand will go north of 30, inflation will skyrocket, bye bye. Lets pray the DA and ANC can work out a stable arrangement.

The biggest task ahead of all political parties is to find out why 41% of voters stayed at home instead of using the power of their vote, and to convince them that they must get out of bed next time!

The most important task ahead of all political parties is to find out why 41% of voters stayed at home instead of using the power of their vote, and to convince them that next time it's worth their while to get out of bed to vote!

while it is clear that the DA is not a white party in terms of who votes for it (only 7% of ZA is white, and their support is in the region of 3 times that number; not quite the most accurate way of looking at the numbers, i know, but it serves its purpose here), it is mind-boggling how white their leadership continues to be. a six-person negotiation team, with a breakdown of 4 white, 1 coloured and 1 black!. this, coupled with the very real optics of prominent white leaders - zille, steenhuisen, winde, hill-lewis (can you even name a prominent non-white DA leader?) - means that the DA will always struggle to shake its "for white people" image. i am not suggesting here that the DA is racist, but the question that it needs to answer is this: how can it possibly be that 30 years into our democracy the DA struggles to find strong, capable black leaders (and retain them!)? and then still claim to be merit-based and non-racial? it's such a pity that the DA (the best administrators in the country) continues to shoot itself in the foot all the time in terms of making themselves believably non-racial. mmusi was let go after disappointing results in 2019 (he failed to grow the party). i wonder whether we'll see the same from steenhuisen (after failing to grow the party)?

Incredible performance by the DA ! Helen Zille might yet save South Africa ! Completely contrary to the DA bashing media ! Good luck to South Africa if the ANC , EFF or MK tie up ! It is scary how many vote on populaism ...no thought about State Capture , , The Zondo Commission , the horrific July Riots , Life Esidimeni , Eskom, the downgrades, the poverty and no thought to the party /s that caused this in plain sight I pray for cool heads and that God smiles on this beautiful country ( but not boring)

64% of the voters supported the ANC MK/EFF. That is a shocking indictment of the mentality of the majority voters and their abject failure to hold the non performing corrupt parties to account. Perhaps its a vote for a finger in the corruption pie? I don't think much will change. Just more infighting between the ANC/MK with the EFF yapping round the edge of the fight.

The split in the ANC rid the ANC of the RET morons ... leaving the 'New Dawn'ers'. This 'split' is a 'blessing in disguise' for the modern, free market faction in the ANC. The split 'sanitized' the remaining ANC of the communist ideologists, state capturers, and blood thirsty Zulu tribalists. The remaining New Dawn ANC, is much more compatible with FREE MARKET countries and locally, with the DA+ MPC. The ANC split is GOOD for a prosperous SA in future.

Listening to Dr Frans Cronje, and his pointed comment about publications such as Daily Maverick, editor Ferial Haffejee and it's cartoonist Zapiro, and multi-year sarcastic comments about, the DA, and especially Helen Zille... The 4th estate, like Zunami overplaying it's hand... Etu Brutus....