A recent voter opinion survey conducted by think tank the Brenthurst Foundation, in collaboration with international strategic communications and campaigns consultancy SABI Strategy Group, has found that the ruling African National Congress (ANC) faces significant competition from coalitions, ahead of the 2024 elections.
The survey found that, compared with 12 months ago, a coalition government is now more likely, with ANC support dropping from 48% to 41%. Political parties under the umbrella of the Multi-Party Charter, which was recently constituted, have a combined total support of 36%.
There is a five-point difference between the combined vote of the Multi-Party Charter and the ANC.
The majority of survey respondents hold the ANC responsible for the country’s problems over the last three decades.
The survey highlighted the decrease in support for the ANC as rooted in its inability to govern the country, in particular, the key provinces such as the Western Cape and Gauteng.
However, President Cyril Ramaphosa continues to enjoy the highest positive favorability rating of all politicians tested, although this has also decreased since November 2022, from 48% to 42%.
In assessing the country’s foreign policy imperatives, 40% of respondents in the survey preferred an association with Western countries and democracies over the 28% who responded that they preferred a pivot the Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) alliance.
Despite Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF’s) leader Julius Malema testing as the most unfavorable politician among the survey’s respondents, the rising support for the EFF from 11% in 2022 to 17% today has been noted prompting fears of an EFF-ANC coalition.