OPINION | By Vusi Gumbi
On 29 May 2024, South Africa went to the polls – the 7th National and Provincial Elections. Dubbed by politicians, academics and commentators alike as the most watershed elections since 1994, these elections lived up to the hype.
The biggest talking point of these elections is how former President of the African National Congress (ANC) and former President of the Republic Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party sent shockwaves across the country by garnering over 2 million votes and becoming the 3rd biggest party in the country, while bulldozing the ANC and Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in the KwaZulu-Natal province and the ANC graciously accepting defeat shows that South Africa’s democratic practice is strong.
For 30 years (with the exception of local government elections) the ANC enjoyed unrivalled electoral support which characterised South Africa as a dominant party state. The first 6 National and Provincial elections saw the ANC win outright victories, at some point, even winning two-thirds of the votes. That all came to an end after South Africans cast their ballots and ushered in the era of coalitions in national government by ending the ANC’s dominance.
The maturity of ANC and its leaders in graciously accepting the results and the will of the people is a reflection of South Africa’s culture of tolerance and strong democratic practice safeguarded by strong democratic institutions. When the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) declared the results which confirmed that the ANC had lost 17.32% – going from 57.50% in the 2019 elections to 40.18 in the 29 May polls, President Cyril Ramaphosa gave a statesman-like address, saying, “As the leaders of political parties, as all those who occupy positions of responsibility in society, we have heard the voices of our people and we must respect their wishes”.
This is important considering that the legacy of former liberation movements that became dominant parties with a tremendous impact on the political landscape of Africa by bringing an end to oppressive regimes and colonial control is frequently tarnished by a resistance to adopting genuine democratic procedures, especially when it comes to conceding election defeat. This trend has caused political instability and hampered the formation of democracy in a number of African countries.
Accepting election results is a crucial step in the democracy process that helps democracies develop and flourish. In addition to giving the elected government legitimacy, this approach upholds the electoral process’s integrity, guarantees stability, promotes institutional confidence, and stimulates political engagement.
A government’s core legitimacy stems from the consent of the governed. Political parties accepting election results indicate that the government is legitimately tasked with governing and representing the will of the people. The stability of the political system depends on this acceptance. The dispute of free and fair election results has the potential to destabilize a country and undermine its government by igniting protracted protests, social unrest, and even bloodshed.
For example, in the 2008 elections in Zimbabwe, opposition leader, the late Morgan Tsvangirai emerged victorious in the first round of voting; nevertheless, he had to withdraw from the runoff due to massive violence and intimidation, enabling then incumbent, the late Robert Mugabe to hold onto power. The nation was thrown into a political crisis as a result of this rejection of legitimate election results, underscoring the unstable consequences of doing so.
There are many other such examples like then outgoing US president Donald Trump’s supporters storming Congress in an attempt to block the certification of Joe Biden’s electoral victory in January 2021 after Trump had claimed that the elections were ‘stolen’; and in Brazil in January 2023, where Jair Bolsonaro – who had lost to Lula da Silva – instigated his supporters to storm the capital, Brasilia, destroying property and vandalising the offices of legislators, the presidency and the Supreme Court, demanding that Bolsonaro be reinstated.
However, this is not South Africa’s reality. Quite the contrary, in actual fact. In South Africa, the governing party loses elections and the sky remains blue. Democracies need to mature and stabilise by accepting the results of elections and creating an environment where dissenting views are allowed to thrive. Refusing to recognise electoral defeat can cause extreme political instability, erode public confidence in institutions, and weaken the foundation of democracy in society. Political parties and their supporters must respect the results of free and fair elections if democracies are to flourish and evolve, even if the outcome is not in their favour.
It is commendable that the ANC and its leadership defend the country’s democracy even when it’s not favourable to them in terms of electoral support. Perhaps, in hindsight, this is the South Africa our forebears envisaged, one where a former liberation movement turned governing party doesn’t lay a permanent attachment to state power. This is unheard of, particularly in Africa. It is very hard for liberation movements to recognize that anyone else could have any equivalent right to rule, while for the movement as a whole its record in the struggle confers a virtually permanent claim on state power. Again, however, this is not South Africa’s reality. South Africa’s democratic culture and practice are strong, it is not a fertile ground for leaders who want to maintain an iron grip on power, either by compromising the constitution or repressing opposition and civil society.
In order to maintain continuity in governance and avoid power struggles, peaceful handovers of power are a distinct feature of developed democracies such as South Africa. As it prevents the confusion and unrest that frequently accompany disputed elections, accepting the results of the election is essential for this smooth transition. This will be even more important as the country navigates coalitions at a national level. South Africa is at the crossroads, but never at the end of the road, thanks to a strong democratic culture. Here’s to 30 more years of unbroken democratic practice.
Gumbi is from the Institute for Pan African Thought and Conversation at the University of Johannesburg. He has been selected for the prestigious Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders to the United States.
