Voters warming to coalition government, rejecting BRICS, ANC crashing - Ray Hartley

A survey conducted by the Brenthurst Foundation has found that support for the ruling ANC party has dropped from 48% in 2022 to 41%. The poll also showed that the gap between the ANC and opposition parties has shrunk and that the Multi-party Coalitions (MPC) - which combines the votes of DA, IFP, Action SA, FF+, and United Independent Movement - could get 36% of the vote. Additionally, 24% of voters said that the launch of MPC made them more likely to vote for an opposition party. The survey also indicates a rise in support for the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) - up from 11% a year ago to 17%. South African voters’ attitude towards BRICS was also polled, with 40% of people indicating that they prefer an association with the West and other democracies to an alignment with BRICS. It also indicated South Africans were keen to vote in 2024 with 80% saying that they would almost certainly go to the polls. In an interview with Biznews Ray Hartley, Director of Research at the Brenthurst Foundation said the survey was conducted through in-depth interviews with a random sample of 1,500 voters. Hartley said that the survey indicates a substantial erosion of the ANC’s political base and it is clear that Gauteng and Kwazulu-Natal will join Western Cape as provinces ruled by the opposition. He added that the growing support for opposition parties is linked to a widespread desire to see politicians come together to address the country’s challenges, rather than engage in divisive bickering.