South Africa’s opposition dynamics will evolve further

Significance

One week later, MK appointed Shivambu as its national organiser. The episode injects an element of tension into the relationship between the two opposition parties, which agreed to cooperate as a ‘Progressive Caucus’ (PC) following May’s elections.

Impacts

• Personality cults and personal enmities around Malema, Shivambu and Zuma will define opposition politics for now.
• Some positive unfolding economic developments should help to consolidate the GNU over the short term.
• Legal challenges by MK members withdrawn from parliament to accommodate higher-profile Zuma allies may prolong the party’s instability.