While imposing an electoral threshold could curb the coalition instability plaguing South African governance, it threatens to sacrifice the plurality and diversity of representation that the country’s democracy cherishes, leaving no easy answers, writes Mcebisi Ndletyana.

Julius Malema’s court strategy mirrors Jacob Zuma’s failed playbook perfectly – rally supporters, attack judicial officers, claim political persecution. But as Zuma discovered, judges tend to hit back when you hit them first, writes Mcebisi Ndletyana.

Despite previous attacks on the integrity of the Electoral Commission of South Africa and Human Science Research Council finding that only 32% of the adult population trusts it, its budget for the next local election is short by as much as R1.6 billion, writes Mcebisi Ndletyana.

Mcebisi Ndletyana reflects on how public officials like police officer Fannie Nkosi and former minister Bathabile Dlamini strategically feigned language barriers during official inquiries, using translation requests as a deceptive tactic to buy time.

President Ramaphosa has signed landmark legislation that promises to restore the professional, merit-based civil service originally planned in the 1990s but derailed by decades of political interference, writes Mcebisi Ndletyana.

For the electorate to believe its message that things will change, the party will have to come up with someone different, a person with credibility. The current mayor, Babalwa Lobishe, is synonymous with decay, writes Mcebisi Ndletyana.

The ANC’s Eastern Cape conference faces potential chaos as fraud allegations and court challenges threaten to derail the leadership contest between current chairperson Oscar Mabuyane and provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi, echoing the controversies that led to the infamous 2017 “festival of chairs,” writes Mcebisi Ndletyana.

Despite its unpopularity and association with corruption, experts at the News24 On the Record summit agree that black economic empowerment remains a moral imperative and political necessity for South Africa, writes Mcebisi Ndletyana.

South African political parties are converging on merit-based leadership criteria, with the ANC abandoning its historical “anyone can lead” philosophy after municipal collapses demonstrated that effective governance requires technical competence over populist appeal, writes Mcebisi Ndletyana.

While South African political parties chase headline-grabbing defections during election season, there is a movement from some political parties to merge with established local organisations, which could bring actual seats and proven voter support, writes Mcebisi Ndletyana.