Stop rewarding micro-parties with power

The latest reports of a possible collapse of Johannesburg's coalition government are more than a local political drama - they are a warning about the fragility of South Africa's democracy.

- BELINDA KAYSER-ECHEOZONJOKU

When a trivial WhatsApp dispute among coalition partners can threaten the governance of Africa's economic hub, it exposes a deeper structural problem: our political system enables micro-parties with minimal support to hold cities hostage.

Johannesburg's revolving door of mayors over the past few years illustrates the damage. Leaders are removed through backroom deals and shifting alliances, rather than performance or mandate.

The result is instability that stalls service delivery, weakens investor confidence and leaves residents without consistent leadership to tackle crime, water outages and infrastructure decay.

South Africa's proportional representation system was designed to ensure inclusivity, giving even the smallest parties a voice. But in practice, it has produced fragmented councils where governance depends on the whims of parties that secured less than one percent of the vote.