How race and politics interact in modern South Africa
Why the ANC’s losses are not the official opposition’s gain

For the Democratic Alliance (da), South Africa’s largest opposition party, the election on May 29th should be a golden opportunity. For the first time since it came to power in 1994 the African National Congress (anc) may lose its national majority. After 30 years many voters are fed up with some of the world’s highest rates of unemployment, inequality and murder. But the da is still struggling to persuade them that it is a better alternative.
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This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Long walk to nowhere”
Middle East & Africa April 27th 2024
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