SA at ‘tipping point’ 30 years into democracy- analyst
A political analyst says it's not unusual for a liberation movement to start feeling the electoral heat 30 years into democracy.
South Africans are heading to the polls on Wednesday for the general elections, with the ANC under more pressure than ever before.
In power since the advent of democracy in 1994, the ANC is still projected to come out as the biggest party but could lose its outright parliamentary majority for the first time.
Sliding below 50% would put it in uncharted waters, and it would be forced to find coalition partners to remain in power.
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The University of Johannesburg's Professor Theo Venter says there's no doubt the country is at a political tipping point:
"We've seen these changes in terms of political culture and how things are happening in Namibia, Zambia, and South America. We've seen it in Southeast Asia. I think that makes our elections absolutely a tipping point because we're on that edge of 30 years where things are now changing."
A senior researcher for African Diplomacy at UJ, Dr Oscar van Heerden, feels our democracy is the envy of other countries.
"We have a vibrant international legislature; we have opposition parties that play their part and their role in keeping the governing party accountable. We are rated as one of the most transparent countries in terms of our national budget processes and our audited general processes. We have held regular elections every five years."
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