26/11/2021
Coalitions: Permanent or Part-time “Frenemies”
When I was a school-going boy, I was very small. Not frail, but small in stature. I knew that whilst size matters, I was hardegat to stand my ground with enough bravado to tackle the bullies who at times were my “frenemies”. Friends at times, enemies at others. And when the size of the “frienemy” in question was too big for me to win in a fight, I’d sometimes have coalitions with my larger friends to get past the inequality of size and belligerence of threats and improve my chances at living another day.
As example, I was challenged to a fight by the school bully and bravely accepted, knowing I was likely to be bliksemed. Fortunately, I had a few bigger friends that watched this play out. Maybe they already had issues with the aggressor or, seeing the whipping I was likely to take, felt pity on me. I secretly prayed they would step in. As it happens, my bravery was enough to get things started and my partners stepped in and put the debate to bed for good in a few blurring, bruising seconds where I was spared humiliation and left the victor by default of my coalescing partners. My frenemy left with his tail between his legs from GJ Louw Primary’s construction-grade stone encrusted playfield that was our boxing ring. The next few days my adversary and I avoided each other, both equally embarrassed by the whipping we both eventually got at home from our parents and careful not to inflict more damage on each other.
This memory surfaced as a reference point to the debate on the formations of NMB coalitions. Not wanting to get into the “he said-she said” stuff, it made me think about the importance of what voters are telling all parties. Here’s my take:
1. Smaller parties are essential to voters to have a sense of participation and ownership in democracy. Win or lose. If added up, all the voters supporting small fringe/local parties within NMB constitutes in excess of 40 000. This voting block makes the cumulative value of small parties the third largest by number after ANC and DA. The point is that it's good for democracy to grow into a contested terrain to balance the power and hubris of larger traditional parties when voters are clearly telling them in 2016 and 2021 "We don't trust enough you to give you control. Find another way". That they’d rather vote for someone on principle, even if they lose. That is their constitutional right. It is an expression of their will. Not a waste of their vote.
2. Larger parties that continue to believe their own rhetoric, campaign slogans disparaging of smaller parties and votes being pro-or anti the big players are insulting to voter’s intelligence. The proponents hereof are stone deaf to the demands of voters and will continue to embarrass themselves with this electoral gaffe. Moreover, it indicates the failure to reach voters concerns and address them and threatens our democratic project with increase size of low voter turn-out that negates the very principle of participatory democracy within the socio-political contract we share in.
3. In era of fake news, spin-doctoring, and blame game, it’s understandable for scapegoats to be blamed. But this only exposes the fragility of leadership that lack of maturity to offer compelling arguments for effective co-operation and creating space to make allowances that include others. Instead, they advertise the exclusion and otherness in the belief you won’t need them. In a democracy we need everything to be part of the solution, lest you willfully cling to being part of the problem.
4. Small parties within coalitions have an opportunity and obligation to use this moment to show their mettle. To apply themselves, learn on the job, help to solve problems, and earn the trust of the voters by pushing their demands for equality and equity in how power gets distributed. Yes, it may be messy but any change to our lived experience and changing voting patterns means everything will not be perfect. Democracy often isn’t. Clearly small and local, issues-based parties can help with that. Uncomfortable for some perhaps but it enjoins and keeps accountable those in the glare of leadership to keep a focus and hopefully, at the best of times, put their best people and ideas forward and do right by our people.
5. Finally, debate in council and delivering of services depends on mature engagement. What this election and previous ones tell us that we need to do better at fielding leaders and ideas that engage robustly, fairly and with emotional intelligence that includes putting in the required work to make our metros and cities better places for our residents. Not infantile, egotistical, race-baiting blame-game performances. Co-operation. Diversity of views. Mature engagement. Effective decisions. A culture of respect that feeds a vision for a better metro. That’s how we serve and secure the voter’s trust and gain the opportunity to do so again in 2026.
If coalitions in 2021 in NMB are to failure, which they very well may, and we only place our belief larger parties that are capable of stability, then we’ll all remain be permanent divided metro as “frienemies” exploit our divisions. All of us have a role in avoiding that and advocating for a new way of solving problems at a time of high risk and low trust. If it means small block votes in council stick to principle and larger party formations fail, then so be it. But they can no longer rule without us. Our people deserve better.
