Local elections are taking place today in South Africa, and I have enjoyed every moment of the mudslinging leading up to this historic vote. It’s historic because it might finally mark the rise of a formidable adversary for the African National Congress (ANC), the party that has held solid majorities across the country during its 17-year reign. The Democratic Alliance (DA), that rising power led by Helen Zille, already controls the Western Cape and is looking to make inroads into the Eastern Cape, specifically the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, which includes the city of Port Elizabeth. Over the past week the campaigning and the rhetoric have increased, making for an interesting showdown today.
As most of you know, there’s nothing I like better about politics than watching the horse race. And the horse race in South Africa is full on. Julius Malema, the firebrand who leads the ANC Youth League, has been the mouthpiece for the ANC this campaign seasons. He adds vitriol with his neo-Marxist ideology, stirring passionate intensity in his devote followers. Although he makes valid political arguments now and again, his temperament overwhelms almost everything positive he has to offer.
From his insistence on continuing to sing the struggle song “Kill the Boer” to referring to any black member of the DA as “Helen Zille’s garden boys,” Julius Malema is certainly a lightening rod.
Malema’s recent op-ed in the Sunday Times reveals a great deal about his politics. He writes that “job creation will be spurred and driven by a decisive land redistribution programme and greater state participation in the ownership and control of the economy.” Unfortunately, he has never explained the mechanics of these policies and reasons why they would “lead to the creation of many job opportunities for the unemployed.” All he offers is a strong dose of party worship, stating that trust in the party will please “African ancestors.” It all has an eerie Animal Farm feel to it.
Malema’s takeover of the ANC message has allowed for the DA to chip away at the party of Nelson Mandela’s constituency. It also helps that the DA has a well-polished, female candidate running their show. Helen Zille sticks to her talking points, yet is great off-the-cuff. She speaks Xhosa and has anti-apartheid credentials. Although she is white, the optics of a woman candidate at the head of a political party is quite striking here in South Africa. In some ways she’s a mix of Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi, with the steely reserve of Condoleeza Rice.
Even if the DA gets a piece of the Eastern Cape, it appears that the ANC will take ground in KwaZulu-Natal, thus maintaing their healthy majority. The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), the party of Zulu nationalism, led by Mangosuthu Buthelezi who is in his 80s, continues to splinter, giving space for other parties to pick up votes in this province. The fact that Jacob Zuma, the president of South Africa, is a Zulu from KwaZulu-Natal certainly improves the ANC’s profile there.
Well, the polls will be closing soon, so I must start taking a look at the returns. A quick glance online at the South African papers shows that there have been some minor irregularities at a few polling stations. It should be a good night.
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