South Africa: As the results from South Africa’s national election begin to emerge, the African National Congress appeared on course to lose its majority in parliament for the first time since it came to power 30 years ago.
The significant shift in the political landscape aligns with the range of concerns of voters highlighted by the comprehensive World Citizenship Report 2024, stating several pressing global issues.
For decades, the ANC which has always remained the dominating party in South African politics, is currently in the stage of erosion with no clear majority. As the 50% voting has been counted so far, the ANC is leading with 42% and the Democratic Alliance (DA) stands at 23% vote share.
The early results indicated that no party is security a clear majority, reflecting the displeasure feelings among the voters and the fragmented political structure of South Africa.
https://x.com/MwauraRobert2/status/1796761735137001813
With over 90% of votes counted,these are the results of South africa elections. It shows how powerful ex president Zuma is,who has 13% so far, ahead of malemas eff which has managed a mere 9%. Its my prayer anc forms the gorverment together with DA.We have changes at KZN province pic.twitter.com/Gt3P1mux71
— Mwaura Robert (@MwauraRobert2) June 1, 2024
The entire situation has resonated with the findings of the groundbreaking World Citizenship Report (WCR) 2024, which stated several factors such as quality of life, economic opportunities, safety, and security where the country has been lacking. According to the report, elections have put several pressing global challenges into the light as voters showcased their concerns about these issues.
“These elections have the potential to impact a whole array of issues which matter to global citizens: quality of life, safety, economics, finance and mobility,” the report stated. In addition to that, the report also identified that concerns such as migration, geopolitical instability, climate change, and warfare have remained paramount in this year’s election.
The report emphasized that the voters in South Africa have looked out these concerns with a serious approach and the early results in South Africa indicated dissatisfaction among the voters about its fractured political environment. Notably, the WCR aims to be a data-driven tool that utilizes five modes of analysis called “motivators”, to analyze the global patterns of governance and political change.
World Citizenship Report
The projection for ANC’s losing majority in the parliament is driven by multiple factors that were suggested by the WCR. According to the report, South Africa ranked at 199 in the headline score out of the 188 countries, showcasing its decline in several motivators.
South Africa’s ranking in the Safety and Security Motivator raised eyebrows as the country placed at 126th position, marking the displeasure of the voters. In addition to that, the 119th position of the country in economic opportunities also showcased that the country has been lacking in providing employment opportunities for citizens.
In the quality of life metrics, the report indicated that the issues that lend themselves to an improved quality of life matter more than ever. The parameter has also remained important for the citizens to decide if the government is providing them with an adequate standard of living.
The report added, “If any government fails in quality of life, then it indicates that healthcare, environmental sustainability, and a competitive economy were needs that were not being met by their governments.”
However, South Africa ranked at the 103rd position in the report, reflecting improvements in the quality of life of the people. The factor has turned out to be positive for the country, but the report also mentioned that there is a still need for improvement.
Migration’s Impact on South African Elections
Further, the report also emphasized the issue of the migration for this year’s elections and it has also impacted the political structures of South Africa. As per the report, the quality of life has influenced the citizens’ drive to migrate and seek another citizenship. The data results of the reports reflect the same as the samples were taken mostly from large countries like the United States, Canada, China, and South Africa.
The report commended the ranking of South Africa in the global mobility and financial freedom metrics and stated, “This year the freedom to travel for ‘leisure/pleasure’ option was some 18 percentage points ahead of the previous leading aspect of safety/security, again underlining its primacy.”
WCR 2024 outlined that financial freedom has also remained a top priority for the citizens as the young generation showcased concerns about employment opportunities. South Africa secured 85th rank in the metrics, marking laudable financial freedom opportunities for the citizens.
Notably, the early results showcased that ANC is leading with 42% and no party is securing a full majority in the parliament. The opposition had formed an alliance named the Democratic Alliance (DA) to secure victory and take the 30-year-old party out of power. However, the trends have showcased nothing in the favour of the aligned opposition.
To this, the World Citizenship Report 2024 mentioned that the opposition did not have the potential to challenge ANC alone due to which they formed an alliance. The report mentioned,” The opposition parties in both South Africa and India have had to form coalitions to even have a hope of winning.”
The World Citizenship Report is released by CS Global Partners- a UK-based firm and the world’s leading advisor on citizenship marketing every year. It is an industry-first endeavor to investigate the value of citizenship through the lens of global-minded individuals.
This year, the report delved into electoral responsibility and shared insights on several dynamics of the world elections. As per the report, in 2024, global citizens are experiencing responsibility in one of its purest, most acute forms: electoral responsibility. 50 percent of the world’s population will be voting in an election this year.
