The increase in the number of small political parties in South Africa contesting the May 8 general elections may be a reflection of how divided South African society really is, according to analysts, but they expect the influx of newcomers will have only a marginal effect at the polls.
A total of 48 parties are contesting the elections, 19 more than in 2014, and many of the new party logos are simply unrecognizable.
Political analyst Ralph Mathekga says its highly unlikely the ANC will fail to win an outright majority.
However, he did not rule out the possibility of a coalition government at national level.
According to University of Johannesburg associate professor of politics Mcebisi Ndletyana, the formation of small political parties had largely to do with ego rather than principles and valid convictions to take the country forward.
He believes the flurry of small parties will have a marginal impact at the polls, save perhaps for Irvin Jim's National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa’s (Numsa) Socialist Revolutionary Workers Party and Patricia de Lille's GOOD party, a breakaway from the Democratic Alliance. - ANA
