Across South Africa’s national, provincial and local spheres, coalition governments are likely to endure, making it essential to strengthen accountability and public trust.

Summary

• South Africa’s 2024 elections ended the ANC’s era of majority rule, making coalitions a prominent feature in national, provincial and local government.
• While coalitions can enhance representation, accountability and social cohesion, their current operation is marked by instability and opaque bargaining, with negative effects on voter trust and service delivery.
• The Government of National Unity (GNU) illustrates both the necessity and the volatility of coalition governance. While the GNU has survived high-profile disagreements, disputes between partners frequently spill into the public arena, and coalition partners turn to the courts amid a lack of transparent conflict-resolution mechanisms.
• Provincial and municipal coalitions show the highest instability, driven by shifting alliances, leadership turnover and outsized leverage of small kingmaker parties.
• A core weakness across all spheres of governance is the absence of enforceable, transparent and detailed coalition agreements, leaving decision-making and dispute resolution vulnerable to contestation.
• Legislative efforts to reform coalition governance aim to improve stability, but South Africa ultimately needs a transparency-first framework defined by clear rules, published agreements and robust monitoring to instil public trust in the post-majority system. 

Report by the South African Institute of International Affairs

The views expressed in this publication/article are those of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views of SAIIA