Smaller parties beginning to look at joining forces

By Mikhaila Crowie
24 April 2009

With the 2009 elections all but done and dusted, analysts are beginning to look at the final overall picture and what the future could hold for some political parties.

One of the more obvious results of the election is that minor parties have all but been wiped out by the big three – the African National Congress, the Democratic Alliance and Cope.

Another trend that is expected to gain momentum is talk of opposition parties joining forces for the 2011 elections.

One of the first leaders to suggest such a move is Patricia de Lille of the Independent Democrats who is still cheerful despite the ID’s poor showing this year.

De Lille said that the opposition parties should all stand under one banner in future.

The DA has been talking along these lines for some time now, but there is no clear indication yet whether Cope, who enjoys support in Cape Town’s townships, will be prepared to throw their lot in with the DA and ID.

The election has indicated that a party like the once potent Pan Africanist Congress, that drove the pivotal Sharpeville pass law protests of 1960, has been relegated to a non-entity.

The party could only manage 1.25 % of the national vote this year.

Latest predictions indicate that a party would have to have had garnered at least 44 200 votes to guarantee a seat in parliament.

The PAC could only muster some 35 886 votes.

The Independent Electoral Commission said it would only announce official results and the voter turnout at the weekend.