Politics is too important to leave in the hands of politicians
South Africa’s problem isn’t a shortage of political parties: it’s a shortage of capable, ethical leadership.
These are the views of Brett Herron, Secretary-General of the GOOD Party and one of the leaders of Unite for Change, a new political formation born from the merger of GOOD, Rise Mzansi and Build One South Africa (BOSA).
Unite for Change plans to contest the 2026 local government elections under one banner — a single political vehicle that merges those parties and other groups expected to join in coming months.
In an interview with Newsday, Herron said this approach avoids the confusion and instability that he said followed the 2024 elections, when many coalition agreements collapsed almost immediately after results were announced.
“We’re not replicating the failed multi-party charter or moonshot pact,” he said. “Unite for Change will be one party on the ballot paper — not a pre-coalition pact where members compete against each other.”
Herron said Unite for Change, launched in early October, was born out of frustration with ‘a failing governance system’, particularly at local level, where service delivery has collapsed in many towns and cities.
“The failure of governance is a failure of leadership,” he said. “Capable and ethical South Africans are not stepping forward to help govern towns and cities.”
For example, a government skills audit revealed in 2023 that more than 300 KwaZulu-Natal councillors were illiterate, raising questions about how they managed multibillion-rand budgets and projects.
“When good people don’t step forward, the vacuum is filled by people who don’t have the skills or the interest — they’re there for income or access to the trough.”
“Politics affects everybody, and it’s too important to leave in the hands of politicians,” he said.
Unite for Change will contest all eight metropolitan municipalities and about 40 other local councils, with plans to expand as more partners join.
Herron said each municipality will have a tailored action plan, tackling water infrastructure and billing in Johannesburg, for instance, and addressing housing affordability in Cape Town.
The birth of Unite and looking ahead to 2026
Asked about the genesis for Unite, Herron said the 2024 national elections showed that South Africa had reached a point of “large-scale political fragmentation.”
South Africans had multiple options at the ballot with 70 political parties contesting the national ballot. This resulted in a record 18 parties represented in the National Assembly.
Herron lamented that parties with shared values competed against each other instead of working together to fix the country’s problems.
“It was clear that what South Africa needed was not more political parties, but a consolidation of political parties who have very little that divides them,” Herron said.
“We can pool our skills, talents and resources, and give voters a stronger, more impactful option at the polls.”
GOOD received 0.18% of the vote, BOSA 0.41% and RISE, 0.42%, giving the three a combined five seats in the 400-seat National Assembly.
ActionSA, which has six seats in the National Assembly, confirmed it was part of discussions with GOOD, BOSA, and RISE, but decided to go at it alone.
Despite the inevitable coalition talks ahead, Herron said Unite will focus on practical governance rather than drawing ideological “red lines.”
“We’ll be guided by practical solutions,” he said. “Each town has its own crises, and we’ll work with anyone committed to fixing them.”
Unite for Change has introduced a five-step vetting process to ensure credible local government candidates.
Applicants will undergo qualification and criminal record checks, community endorsement verification, and must host town halls, register voters, and run transparent campaigns before final selection.
“We’re calling on capable, ethical South Africans to step forward and help us fix our towns and cities. The country can be turned around — but it needs the right people in the room.”
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Whilst I 100% support his principles, we have been disappointed by so may political parties who U turn after elections to ensure they obtain paid positions. Promises go out the window.