OPINION| South Africa’s next political revolution will start in our municipalities

By Rali Mampeule

Across Africa, voters have demonstrated an increasing willingness to reconsider long-standing political loyalties when they believe governments and political institutions are no longer meeting their expectations.

South Africa is entering its own period of profound political change. The ANC lost its national parliamentary majority in the 2024 general election.

Now, as the country approaches another local-government election, the political environment is being shaped by internal party disputes, litigation, questions of accountability and growing competition for voters who no longer regard their political allegiance as permanent.

The political ground is shifting

At MOVE SA, our structures are reporting significant political movement at community level. Our internal assessment is that the governing party has experienced substantial membership losses in recent weeks.

Figures being reported to MOVE structures suggest losses of approximately 30% in some measurements over a four-week period. These are MOVE SA’s figures and should not be confused