Multi-Party Charter
Multi-Party Charter | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | MPC MPCSA |
| Chairperson | William Gumede[1] |
| Founders |
Other founders:
|
| Founded | 17 August 2023 |
| Dissolved | 3 June 2024 |
| Ideology |
|
| Political position | Centre-right[A] |
| Charter parties |
Other parties:
|
| National Assembly | 113 / 400 |
| National Council of Provinces | 25 / 90 [needs update] |
| Provincial Legislatures | 124 / 487 |
^ A: The largest party in the coalition, the Democratic Alliance (DA) is usually described as a broadly centrist, liberal party while smaller parties such as the IFP, FF Plus and ACDP are usually described as leaning right ideologically (see table below). ^ B: The Spectrum National Party, Ekhethu People's Party and Unemployed National Party did not contest in the 2024 South African general election. | |
The Multi-Party Charter (MPC), officially the Multi-Party Charter For South Africa (MPCSA), formerly known as the Moonshot Pact, was a pre-election agreement in South Africa that presented a united front in the 2024 South African general election against the three-decade rule of the African National Congress (ANC) and the recent rise of the controversial Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF),[1] uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK Party)[2] and Patriotic Alliance (PA).[3]
After the 2024 general election, the MPC dissolved after failing to obtain enough votes to form a government.[4] Subsequently after dissolution, the majority of the main MPC parties joined the ANC-DA lead Government of National Unity (GNU), apart from the African Christian Democratic Party and ActionSA.
History
[edit | edit source]Early formation
[edit | edit source]In early 2023, the African National Congress (ANC) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) formed a coalition in Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni where the two parties hold MMC (member of the municipal council) positions whilst electing a mayor from a minority party.[5] In April 2023, noting the prospects of an ANC/EFF national coalition, the Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen called for "like-minded" parties to join together to prevent a "doomsday coalition".[6]
On 17 August 2023, the pre-election agreement called the Multi-Party Charter was signed between the Democratic Alliance (DA), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus), ActionSA, Independent South African National Civic Organisation (ISANCO), United Independent Movement (UIM) and Spectrum National Party (SNP). The charter group held 108 out of the 400 seat National Assembly.
On 7 October 2023, the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) announced it would be joining the charter, increasing the charter's seat count from 108 to 112 in the 400 seat National Assembly.[7][8]
On 14 December 2023, the Multi-Party Charter announced that two new parties joined the group: the North West-based United Christian Democratic Party (UCDP) and the Gauteng-based Ekhethu People’s Party (EPP).[9]
The Unemployed National Party (UNP) also became a member of the charter.[10]
Disputes
[edit | edit source]On 16 February 2024, the Multi-Party Charter rejected the application of the Referendum Party (RP), due to the party's singular support for Cape independence.[11] This is despite the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) party also being in favor of Cape independence.[12] Critics claimed that this casts doubt on the charter's claimed support for political decentralisation.[13]
2024 elections
[edit | edit source]Three of the charter's eleven members failed to garner the minimum number of signatures required by the Independent Electoral Commission and will not be contesting in the 2024 South African general election: the Spectrum National Party, Ekhethu People's Party and Unemployed National Party.[14]
During the 2024 election, the parties in the charter collectively won 119 of the 400 seats in the National Assembly, increasing the number of seats by 7.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) and Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) gained 3 seats each while the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) and African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) lost 4 and 1 seats respectively. The newly formed ActionSA underperformed expectations as the party only garnered 1.2% of the votes, which translated to 6 seats.[15]
On 6 June 2024, ActionSA announced they would leave the Multi-Party Charter as the party believed the charter had breached the agreement by considering forming a coalition with the ANC.[16] This decision reduced the charter's seat count from 119 to 113 in the 400 seat National Assembly.[17]
Priorities and principles
[edit | edit source]At the joint press statement by the six founding parties the coalition government's priorities were laid out as:[18][19][20]
- Growing the economy
- Creating jobs
- Energy security
- Combatting crime
- Combatting corruption and drugs
- Quality education for all
- High quality infrastructure
- Quality healthcare for all
- Relieving South African households living in poverty
The coalition's agreed-upon principles, called "Shared Governing Principles", are:[18][19][20]
- The South African constitution, rule of law, and equality before the law
- Decentralising the power of government
- A transparent government
- Zero tolerance towards corruption
- Efficient spending of public money by the government
- An open market economy
- Evidence-based policies
- Promoting non-racialism and unity in the country's diversity
Political parties
[edit | edit source]The table below lists the parties in the charter. As of 2024, the parties in the charter collectively hold 113 of the 400 seats in the National Assembly.
Main parties
[edit | edit source]| Abbr. | Name | Ideology | Political position | Leader | Seats | Vote % at the 2024 election | Government | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DA | Democratic Alliance | Centre-right | John Steenhuisen | 87 / 400
|
21.81% | Government | ||
| IFP | Inkatha Freedom Party IQembu leNkatha yeNkululeko |
Centre-right | Velenkosini Hlabisa | 17 / 400
|
3.85% | Government | ||
| FF Plus | Freedom Front Plus Vryheidsfront Plus |
Right-wing to rar-right | Pieter Groenewald | 6 / 400
|
1.36% | Government | ||
| ACDP | African Christian Democratic Party | Centre-right to right-wing | Kenneth Meshoe | 3 / 400
|
0.6% | Opposition |
Other parties
[edit | edit source]| Abbr. | Name | Ideology | Political position | Leader | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISANCO | Independent South African National Civic Organisation | Zukile Luyenge | |||
| UIM | United Independent Movement | Christian democracy | Centre-right | Neil de Beer | |
| SNP | Spectrum National Party[a] | Christopher Claassen | |||
| UCDP | United Christian Democratic Party | Christian democracy | Centre-right | Modiri Desmond Sehume | |
| EPP | Ekhethu People's Party[a] | Mahlubi John Madela | |||
| UNP | Unemployed National Party[a] | Prince Nkwana |
Former member parties
[edit | edit source]| Abbr. | Name | Ideology | Political position | Leader | Seats | Vote % at the 2024 election | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ActionSA | ActionSA | Centre-right | Herman Mashaba | 6 / 400
|
1.2% |
See also
[edit | edit source]Notes
[edit | edit source]- ^ a b c Did not contest in the 2024 South African general election.
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).