READY FOR A SHAKE-UP

Experts say the new Multi-Party Charter, an alliance of seven opposition parties, is good for democracy

- LESEGO SEOKWANG

IT DOESN'T happen very often in the world of politics: politicians setting aside their differences to work together towards a common goal. Usually, it's every party for itself with insults flying about and behaviour that wouldn't look out of place on a preschool playground.

So when seven opposition parties got together recently and publicly signed a deal promising to cooperate with one another, it came as a surprise.

The rival parties may not see eye to eye on everything but they do agree on some aspects.

The first is that they don't want the African National Congress (ANC) to win another five years in power. The second is that they know individually they can't unseat the ruling party they stand a chance only if they're together.

Instead of waiting until after the elections to form coalitions, the Democratic Alliance (DA), IFP, Freedom Front+, ActionSA, Spectrum National Party, United Independent Movement and Independent South African National Civic Organisation have united to form the Multi-Party Charter.

But what is this pact exactly and does it have any chance of shaking things up in the SA political landscape?

We take a look.

WHAT THE CHARTER ENTAILS 

The nine-page charter explains that the parties' main goals are to unseat the ANC from power, keep out the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and usher in a multi-party government following the 2024 national and provincial elections.

Theo Venter, a political analyst and professor of practice at the University of Johannesburg, sees it as a positive step forward for our democracy. "It's part of the maturing of South Africa and getting used to coalition politics as a permanent feature of SA politics," he says.

It's an agreement between the political parties to work together without losing their identities, he explains.