By Dr Zamani Saul<\/p>\n
The recent 2026 Local Government IPSOS SA poll results have unveiled a significant shift within South African politics, particularly for left-aligned political parties on the left axis of the political spectrum. It is important to note, however, that categorizing parties as left-aligned is approached with extreme caution, acknowledging the complexities of the left-right ideological dichotomy and the evolving nature of ideological outlook of modern political parties.<\/p>\n
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Often, parties may employ radical rhetoric associated with the left thought, but substantively their policies and conduct can be regressively oriented. Despite this fluidity, for the purpose of this analysis, the ANC, MKP and EFF are broadly categorised as part of the parties on the left axis in contemporary South African politics. These three parties collectively account for 62.3% of the votes for the 2024 general elections. This election outcome represents a very strong support by the poor for the left axis.<\/p>\n
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The IPSOS election polls project a concerning future for all parties in the left axis, with the ANC anticipated to garner less than 30% of the votes, and both the EFF and MKP facing marginal losses. Conversely, support for the Democratic Alliance and some other right-wing political outfits projected to increase moderately. This projected trend for 2026 Local Government Elections threatens the 62.3% electoral support for the left axis.<\/p>\n
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A particularly striking finding from the poll results is that 35% of respondents who intend to vote next year remain undecided. This marks a historical first since 1994, signaling profound disillusionment within the South African electorate, especially concerning parties on the left axis. This article argues that the current state of the left axis, as revealed by the recent poll results, requires an urgent self-discovery and a concerted push for unity.<\/p>\n
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The corrosion of the social base of the left axis is due to fragmentation of the left, which is in turn due to lack of adept leaders. This throws the left-axis in profound disarray. This precarious situation is exacerbated by leadership failures to address the challenges facing the left axis broadly and beyond party politics. Furthermore, the emergence of new left formations, such as Mayibuye i Afrika, and the South African Communist Party\u2019s stated intention to independently contest elections, threaten to further fragment and weaken the left axis.<\/p>\n
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To effectively address the challenges confronting the left axis, it is imperative to establish platforms for meaningful engagements aimed at galvanising the left towards unity. The existing National Dialogue presents an opportunity for such critical discussions. Leaders must seize this moment to unite the left to advance a coherent progressive agenda.<\/p>\n
This can be achieved by collectively identifying and pursuing specific minimum goals, which could include advocating for constitutional amendments, specifically amending Section 25 of the Constitution to facilitate expropriation with nil compensation, introduction of radical measures to alleviate poverty, such as implementing a decent basic income grant and other redistributive economic policies. For such unity and collective action to materialise, leaders must transcend individual pride and misplaced arrogance and prioritise the collective future of the left.<\/p>\n
The left axis in South Africa stands at a critical crossroads. The current state of fragmentation and disarray can only be overcome through collective action and an unwavering commitment to unity. By engaging in honest dialogue, identifying shared objectives, and fostering collaboration, leaders have the potential to mobilise the left and advance a progressive agenda that genuinely benefits the poor and working class. The urgency for unity of the left axis is paramount, not for its own sake but for the working class and the poor.<\/p>\n
About the Author<\/strong><\/p>\n The Author is the Chairperson of the African National Congress in the Northern Cape and also serves as the Premier of the Province, he writes in his personal capacity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Dr Zamani Saul The recent 2026 Local Government IPSOS SA poll results have unveiled<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":485,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecmessenger.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecmessenger.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecmessenger.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecmessenger.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecmessenger.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=484"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ecmessenger.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/484\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":486,"href":"https:\/\/ecmessenger.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/484\/revisions\/486"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecmessenger.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/485"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecmessenger.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecmessenger.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecmessenger.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}