Prof Siphamandla Zondi|Published
Some 620 political parties are registered to contest the 4 November local government elections here in South Africa. It is a massive increase from previous numbers of about 508.
Are 620 political entities a boon or bust for our local democracy? How can voters possibly make sense of that? Isn’t this just chaos? Does an increase in the quantity of parties and candidates contribute to improvement in the quality of local democracy?
These are some of the questions that have been posed in public discussions lately. There are divergent views, with some arguing that the increase does not mean more ideological options or better political ideas or such.
There are fair questions, but they are rooted in a misunderstanding of what is actually happening on the ground in South Africa. My contention is simple: the proliferation of political parties ahead of the 4 November local government elections is not a bug in our democracy; it is a feature. It is a symptom of a system finally responding to pressure, not a system collapsing under it.
First, let’s debunk the panic around the number. 620 is an aggregate national figure. It is not a ballot paper. It is not a list of 620 choices staring voters in the face in every ward. It is a big picture statistic, not a reflection of the reality we will witness in voting districts across the country. The voter in a ward will find the parties that contest in that locality. They would have increased, of course, from last time, but not to the extent the 620 parties statistic suggests.
Yet, the 620 presents a huge logistical nightmare for the electoral management body, the IEC. It does signal an increase in political platforms seizing the opportunity. The increase in quantity is a certainty and a matter for discussion.
The question is: Why is this massive increase happening?
This is in part the natural progression of a maturing, frustrated, and increasingly inventive citizenry. Citizens are establishing new platforms as older ones fail or get disfavoured. More political actors are stepping forward. We are seeing a surge for four concrete reasons:
First is the failure of the “Big Three.” The ANC, the DA, and the EFF have, for different reasons, hit their respective ceilings. The ANC is stagnating under the weight of its own legacy and performance over a long period. The DA and EFF are struggling to break through their demographic and ideological glass ceilings. When the national behemoths stumble, the tectonic plates shift, and the smaller breakaways emerge from the cracks.
Second is the pragmatic upsurge. For decades, South African politics was about traditional ideologies—who fought for freedom, who can govern better. Ideology in rhetoric was often either about transformation envisaged (not implemented) or about individual rights and freedoms, about markets and opportunities. But in 2026, for many these are just nice words. People don’t live on ideology; they can’t eat. They need a pothole filled, a refuse truck that arrives on time, and a reliable water supply.
Some of the new formations are realising that you don’t need a grand national narrative to fix a broken traffic light. This is a shift from “big picture” to “big pavement.” And yes, before anyone scoffs, pragmatism is itself an ideology—it is a view that solutions are more important than symbolism. This is an ideology too.
Third is the growth of local agency. We are witnessing the evolution of civic associations into political formations. People are no longer waiting for Luthuli House or Federal Council or Winnie Mandela House to send a saviour. They are realising that the power to fix their suburb or township lies in their own hands. This is the death of deference and the birth of local ownership. I do not mean all of these organisations raising their hands are innocent or morally upright or efficient, but that they are seizing the opportunity from the decline of the dominant parties.
Fourth is the “Job Hunt” factor. Let’s be blunt: South Africa’s unemployment crisis is so dire that running for office is seen as a viable economic strategy. While cynical, this is a reality. When the formal economy closes its doors, people will look for any avenue to earn a living, and local government appears to be an open door.
Now, let’s talk about the major parties responding to this. The fact that we are seeing national heavyweights being parachuted into metro mayoral races is the most telling admission of failure. If the ANC, DA, or EFF had done their homework, they would have nurtured local talent.
Why are the chairpersons of local structures not naturally rising to lead their cities? Because those parties haven’t built those structures. Maybe they have been so focused on the national soap opera that they forgot to water the grass at home. If you have to fly in a national figure to run a local municipality, you have already lost the plot regarding what local government is supposed to be.
What we are likely to see on 4 November is a fragmented landscape. The ANC will likely continue to stagnate, failing to reclaim its former glory. The DA and EFF will likely remain under their respective ceilings. But the opportunity to register growth is with smaller kingmakers like ActionSA and the Patriotic Alliance (PA). They have shown signs of small but significant growth. They have more room to experiment and take advantage of the situation. They have seen why the bigger parties fail.
They may not take the metros outright, but they are positioned to be the kingmakers—the power brokers who decide which fragile coalition takes the crown. They will be the opposition within the opposition, holding together or tearing apart coalitions based on local grievances or playing a balancing role in coalitions.
What about voter confusion, I say: trust the people. South Africans are not unaware of what is happening. They are besieged by potholes and water shortages. They will look at the ballot, recognise the bigger brands, but increasingly, they will take a chance on the smaller, local parties that knock on their doors and speak specifically to their street.
The 620 entities are a sign of desperation, yes. But they are also a sign of innovation. In a country where old politics is failing, the new patterns in politics are an attempt to find a way to survive. Let us watch and see if this works for the people who have lived in hope too long to wait any further.
*Professor Siphamandla Zondi is a Director at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation, University of Johannesburg.
***The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Media Group.
