Perhaps it is too easy to register a political party in South Africa and contest an election.
It could also be that political parties formed out of spite for another do not have much to offer once the anger has subsided.
Even the EFF, which initially appeared to be a success after being established as a breakaway from the ANC, lost votes in the national polls.
The demise of Cope is a classic example of a fall from grace, while the UDM has also not been a phenomenal success since it was founded.
The miracle and disruptor of the 2024 general election, the MK Party of former president Jacob Zuma, may need to watch its step or risk disappearing into thin air too.
If not in court appearing before the judges, the MK Party is in the news for all the wrong reasons.
Cracks started to appear just weeks after the polls when Zuma fired the reinstated Arthur Zwane as the party’s secretary-general. Treasury general Danisa Zulu was also shown the door.
On Monday, 18 MPs who were recalled by the organisation were seeking to have their removal reversed. According to the party, they were removed after it was found that they were incorrectly placed on the MP candidate list.
Recently, it was reported that the MK Party was planning to bring former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe, former Prasa CEO Lucky Montana and former Transnet CEO Siyabonga Gama to Parliament, all of whom faced corruption allegations. None of them have been found guilty of the charges against them.
Then you have Zuma himself, who continues to declare himself a member of the ANC despite being a leader of the MK Party.
Mind you, the MK Party, by default the official opposition in Parliament, is led by an interim structure, and neither does it have a constitution.
These kinds of issues could be avoided if the laws were tightened to allow only parties with longer lifespans to contest the elections.
Cape Times