The Patriotic Alliance (PA) has been in the news for all the wrong reasons these past few weeks – notably, for accusations of racism on the party of party leader Gayton McKenzie, and for deputy president Kenny Kunene’s suspension after being found at the house of murder-accused Katiso Molefe when he was arrested.
But behind the scenes the PA has been reshaping politics in the Western Cape, building support and picking up by-election wins from the DA and ANC. It’s poised to spoil the two big parties’ ambitions in the province in the next local government election.
The South Africa Brief’s new interactive slideshow shows how the PA has grown in the Western Cape since the 2021 local government election. Its successes in the 2024 election and in the by-elections of the past four years mean that the DA and ANC have their work cut out for them ahead of next year’s local government poll.
This article is published courtesy of The South Africa Brief, a political newsletter published on Substack which is a collaboration between Paul Berkowitz and Jonathan Moakes. It provides analysis and insight into the new, uncertain era of South African politics heralded by the 2024 general election. Including a specific focus on municipal politics, it will provide full analysis in the run-up to next year’s municipal polls.
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