The recent local government elections are unlikely to improve the lot of the poor who live in squalor, but there may be a more dangerous fallout, with the potential rise of right-wing populism, which thrives in conditions of disillusionment with official politics. Those who support democracy need to build organisational forms to resist this and advance popular demands. In the last few months, the media and public debate have been preoccupied with issues related to elections. Much of the reportage has illustrated the collapse of local government in multiple parts of South Africa, seeing people living in demeaning conditions whether in North West, Limpopo, Eastern Cape, Gauteng or wherever they happen to be.
The recent local government elections are unlikely to improve the lot of the poor who live in squalor, but there may be a more dangerous fallout, with the potential rise of right-wing populism, which thrives in conditions of disillusionment with official politics. Those who support democracy ne.
Corruption and an erosion of trust are cutting into the electorate's interest in elections but the ballot box is not the only site of engagement in society, writes Imraan Buccus.
A political analyst says it's clear that the Democratic Alliance (DA) was exploiting people's pain for short-term gain when it put up controversial posters in Phoenix, north of Durban.