South Africa needs a ‘big tent centrist coalition’
South Africa’s political landscape is evolving, with growing calls for a shift toward competence-based politics and a centrist coalition that can provide stability amid fragmentation and populism.
A significant proponent of this call is Professor William Gumede, founder of the Democracy Works Foundation, associate professor at the University of the Witwatersrand’s School of Governance, and a multiple-time bestselling author.
Speaking to Newsday, he highlighted the importance of voters prioritising experience, integrity, and ability over ideology or identity when casting their ballots.
Central to Gumede’s vision is the development of a “big tent centrist political center”, an alliance of parties that share a commitment to the constitution, the rule of law, anti-violence, business growth, and competence-based governance.
Such an alliance, he says, would act as a counterweight to populist or extremist parties, including the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), uMkhonto we Sizwe Party (MKP) and others he described as “wild parties.”
“It is very important as a country that we proactively work to foster a big-tent centrist political center,” Gumede said.
“If we can get political parties that are pro-constitution, that believe in non-racialism, that believe in competence, that are anti-violence, and that believe in business and the market, we can collaborate, whether through mergers, coalitions, nationally, or locally.”
Gumede said that the centrist coalition should not simply react to the presence of populist parties, but be strategically built to provide a stable governing base.
“By 2029, we can have a big-tent centrist national coalition to govern South Africa when the African National Congress (ANC) is gone. If we can keep the populist and wild parties to the margins, we can create a centrist consensus that dominates the country’s politics and brings stability,” he said.
Gumede chaired the formation of the Multi-Party Charter ahead of the 2024 elections, where DA, IFP, ActionSA, and VF+ pledged to unite against the ANC and keep the EFF out.
Though the pact fell apart post-election, Gumede sees the GNU as an incubator for a centrist political center.
He said that the non-ANC partners in the GNU today should have a caucus, a centrist caucus that is pro-constitution, pro-business, pro-civil society, pro-non-racialism, and pro-competence “so they work together.”
“We also have to build it outside the GNU so that by 2029 in the 2029 elections, we could form intensely a big-tent centrist national coalition to govern South Africa when the ANC is gone.”
The silent majority
Gumede believes that the majority of South Africans are already centrist, even if public discourse is dominated by populist or extremist voices.
“Despite the fact that the public debate and public discourse seems to be dominated by populist and by violent people and by gangster people and by people who are economically illiterate and people who do not read.”
“I think the middle ground in South Africa, the majority of South Africans, are still firmly in the center,” he said.
He adds that the challenge is political parties are not appealing to this majority.
“If we offer them, if the political parties offer them sanity, offer them pragmatism, offer them policies that make sense, and offer them rule of law, we could have a force to change South Africa for the good.”
By mobilising this silent centrist majority and fostering collaboration inside and outside the GNU, Gumede argues that South Africa could build a stable, pragmatic, and competence-driven political future, moving away from ideology-driven populism and toward governance that delivers real results.
The push for a centrist alliance aligns with Gumede’s broader argument for competence-based voting.
He has consistently highlighted that many voters currently “vote for their own poverty,” electing leaders who lack management experience, integrity, or an understanding of economics.
Competence, in his view, should be measured by whether a candidate has managed any entity outside politics or government, demonstrates honesty, and makes decisions in the best interests of the community or country rather than a single party or ideology.
Loading ...