LISTEN | Once people know what it feels like to vote a government out they’re never giving up their power

Once people know what it feels like to vote out a government they are never going to give up their power, says an analyst.

Despite the shift in our democracy's dynamics, political analyst Sithembile Mbete says the foundation is resilient and the country will survive.

In conversation about the ANC having to partner with opposition parties to reach the required 50% + 1% majority to form a government, Mbete said the winner of this election is the voter.

Listen to the conversation:

“There were too few voters but this election has shown the power of the vote in a way we didn’t understand before.

“Its galvanised conversation around issues that were for politics geeks, people are now talking about the [parliament] lists, the formula to calculate seats and [asking] 'what’s a quorum for parliament?' These things were never on the agenda, people never knew about them and now there’s this interest in how the system functions [and inquiring] where does our power really lie?”

Last week ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa announced the party preferred to form a government of national.

“The ANC will not be the same after this whichever way [form of government it chooses] they go and it's a big identity shift that will come from this,” Mbete said.

The ANC won 40.18%, losing it's outright majority. 

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