National dialogue on coalition governments to pave the way for legislation

South Africans are being invited to submit comments on the national dialogue on coalition governments. 

Working with the minister of co-operative governance and traditional affairs Thembi Nkadimeng and political parties in parliament, deputy president Paul Mashatile, as leader of government business, will convene the dialogue in Cape Town next weekend. 

According to the presidency, the aim of the two-day discussion is to lay the foundation for a national framework to serve as a guide for effectively managing and navigating coalition governments.

This will also pave the way for the development of the coalition framework and legislation.

The government’s intention to regulate coalition arrangements is to restore stability in the local government sphere, where service delivery has been hampered because of the voting in and out of different administrations as political parties jostle for power. 

According to the concept discussion document: “The intention of the national dialogue is to agree on the set of principles that will make coalitions work in the interest of the greater good and in a change-orientated manner. These principles are going to be central in bringing about consensus on how coalition governments should function, to ensure that we continue to build a strong and stable democracy in our country.” 

Mashatile’s spokesperson Vukani Mde said: “The need for such dialogue is informed by the adverse effects that have been observed in certain coalition arrangements at local government, particularly their impact on service delivery and governance. 

“To mitigate these negative effects and foster a more productive and harmonious governance approach, it has become necessary to embark on a transformative national conversation.”

In April President Cyril Ramaphosa suggested that to deal with instability in local government, a threshold needed to be met before establishing a coalition government. 

The concept discussion document goes on to say that since the introduction of the White Paper on local government, “we are observing instability in this sphere of government, which is attributed to a variety of reasons”. 

These include deficit in required capacity, financial instability and recently coalition government since the 2016 and 2021 local government elections which led to hung municipalities with no majority rule.

As the government prepares for the 2024 general elections, the dialogue will focus on the immediate challenges that confront local government. 

“The government will continue to review the negative impact of dysfunctional coalition arrangements, and its effect on service delivery.” 

The discussion will include a commitment by coalition governments to improve service delivery, growing the economy, good governance and that the party that wins the most votes should be allowed to lead the coalition, as well as the executive positions being allocated proportionally to the votes obtained by the coalition.

To respond to instability in coalition governments, the DA has drafted bills that seek to aid in creating stability, while the UDM has engaged with the IEC through the forum of political parties. ActionSA is said to be re-evaluating its approach to coalition governments.

Research is also being done by academics to highlight the importance of a framework for coalition governments. The document noted that what’s lacking is a discussion involving all political parties and citizens on the matter.

It was noted that coalition governments have worked in countries such as Kenya, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Malaysia, Japan, Netherlands and Denmark.

“From the overview of international experience, we conclude that coalitions are neither inherently good nor intrinsically bad. They cannot be romanticised as the answer to the problems facing many democracies.”

While some coalition governments have worked, others have failed “phenomenally” noted the document.

“There is another set of countries where coalitions have been disastrous for national development. This is prevalent in countries undergoing democratic transition and structural transformation in Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America.”

The discussion document will consider urgently dealing with coalitions in the national and local spheres of government as well as the establishment of a panel of experts to conduct extensive research and engage society on the electoral system.