SA voters would back national coalition, survey shows

MOST South Africans would encourage the political parties they support to agree to take part in a national coalition government, signaling support for a break from the sole rule of the African National Congress since the end of apartheid in 1994, a survey found.

Almost 80% of registered voters support their parties taking part in a coalition government if necessary, the Social Research Foundation said, basing its conclusions on the views of 3 304 people surveyed in July

The support for coalitions come as South Africans grow increasingly dissatisfied with the direction the country is taking and may indicate nostalgia for the government immediately post-1994 when the ANC, while governing by itself, gave key government posts to its two biggest rivals, the SRF said.

“South African sentiment is broadly negative on present social, economic, and political circumstances and remains on balance negative about prospects for the future,” the SRF said.