Social Discontent and Voting Behaviour in South Africa’s 2024 General Elections: The Transition from One-party Dominance to a Multi-party Coalition
Ath`enkosi Mfusi Mbete 
, Collin Olebogeng Mongale & Victor Ojakorotu
Issue: Vol.5 No.13 Issue Article 30 pp.2413-2425
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202451330 | Published online 31st October, 2024
© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
The main aim of this paper was to analyse South Africa’s transition from one-party dominance to a multi-party coalition government, with specific reference to the 2024 general elections in South Africa. Through the use of secondary data collection, the paper critically analysed the nexus between social discontent and voting behaviour in South Africa’s 2024 general elections. Using rational choice theory, the paper argued that voting behaviour in the 2024 elections was influenced by people’s choice to vote for a political party that promised to improve their welfare by addressing existing socio-economic challenges. The study found that the African National Congress (ANC), which has been a single dominant party in national government for 30 years, has failed to address pressing challenges that cause social discontent such as poor service delivery, poverty, unemployment, inequality, corruption, and the energy crisis. As a result, the party fell below the threshold to govern on its own, leading to the formation of a multi-party coalition government with former opposition parties named the Government of National Unity (GNU). The paper concluded that parties that form multi-party coalition government should prioritise people’s interests such as mitigating existing social discontents, because failure to do so shall influence voting behaviour in the upcoming election cycles, which might affect their electoral support as was the case with the ANC’s decline of support post-2024 general elections. This study anticipates making a valuable contribution to the existing body of knowledge by offering practical insights into the nexus between social discontent and voting behaviour in South Africa’s elections. In addition, the study provides recommendations on how the newly formed government of national unity can mitigate the existing social discount among electorates.
Keywords: Multi-Party Coalition Government, One-Party Dominance, Social Discontents, Voting Behaviour, South African 2024 General Election
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Ath`enkosi Mfusi Mbete is a student research assistant (temporary) under the Deputy Director of the School of Government Studies office at the North-West University. He is pursuing his Master’s in Social Science in International Relations under the Department of Political Studies and International Relations at the North-West University, South Africa. He holds a BSocSc Honours in International Relation and BSocSc with International Relations. All these qualifications are obtained from the North-West University, South Africa
Collin Olebogeng Mongale is a PhD Research Trainee (Intern) at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) division of Developmental, Capable and Ethical State (DCES). He is pursuing his Doctoral degree under the Department of Political Studies and International Relations at the North-West University. He holds a Master of Arts in Political Studies, an Honours degree in Political Studies and a BSocSc in Political Sciences and International Relation (cum-laude). All qualifications were obtained from the North-West University, South Africa.
Victor Ojakorotu is a scholar of International relations and an astute professor at North West University, South Africa. He holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. A First Class Honours graduate (BSc) from the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria in International Relations and an MSc. Degree in the same school. He has actively worked at various capacities as an academic of repute in the last 28 years, specifically, he worked for Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, and Monash University, Johannesburg. Currently, he holds a position as Deputy Director, School of Government Studies, North West University, Mafikeng – South Africa and recently appointed as an Honorary Professor at the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) South Africa. His research interests span across several areas which are not limited to peace and conflict issues, social movements, environmentalism, peace advocacy and inter-ethnic harmony in local communities in Africa.
Mbete, Ath`enkosi Mfusi, Collin Olebogeng Mongale & Victor Ojakorotu. “Social Discontent and Voting Behaviour in South Africa’s 2024 General Elections: The Transition from One-party Dominance to a Multi-party Coalition ,” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 5, no.13 (2024): 2413-2425. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202451330
© 2024 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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