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Mon, 03 Jun, 2024 - 01:01

With just a few more votes to be counted last night in South Africa, it had become clear that its epoch-breaking election had ended 30 years of hegemony for the party of Nelson Mandela.

The African National Congress, forged in the image of the man they called simply ‘Madiba’ — his clan name for leader — saw its dominant share of electoral support fall from 57.5% in 2019 to barely 40% on a much reduced turnout.

The most stable democracy on the continent is riven by widespread poverty, crippling rates of unemployment standing at 30% and more, widespread corruption, violent crime, and failures in basic services including seemingly endless power shortages leading to daily outages, or “load shedding” of four, eight, and 12 hours.

The ANC’s previous leader, 82-year-old Jacob Zuma, president of the Republic between 2009 and 2018, is barred from running for political office after serving prison time. The new party he established in December, uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), named after the organisation’s one-time ‘Spear of the Nation’ paramilitary wing, has garnered 15% of the national vote and is particularly strong within the country’s Zulu population.

Now the ruling party has the unprecedented task of finding a coalition partner, and is obliged to do so quickly. The country’s constitution requires the national assembly to convene within 14 days to elect a speaker and a president after the declaration of the results.

This will be gall and wormwood to leader Cyril Ramaphosa, 71, who can see the legacy of Mandela unravelling before his eyes as South Africa approaches the 60th anniversary of the Rivonia conspiracy trial and the founding myths of the state... Robben Island, the “long walk to freedom”, the creation and hopes of “the rainbow nation”.

He must strike a deal with the pro-business Democratic Alliance which possesses the handicap that it is suspicious of traditional Communist allies, and particularly hostile to Vladimir Putin’s Russia. They gained 21% of the vote. Together they would make an unassailable partnership.

Alternatively, he can parley with MK and the Marxist Economic Freedom Fighters, both of which might demand that Ramaphosa steps down as the price of co-operation.

The catchphrase of this election was “2024 is our 1994”. An increasing percentage of voters have no experience of apartheid. The expectations of what are known as the “born frees” is that they will progress to a better life rather than simply be grateful for what they have. In a nation with such resources and assets, this should not be beyond their grasp. But it will require a change of direction, and a lasting break with the one-party rule of the past.

Appealing decisions

Two occasions of sporting history occur this week, with one more likely to bring pleasure to spectators than the other.

On Wednesday, Ireland will create a stir when they stroll out on the temporary cricket strip in the temporary stadium at Eisenhower Park in Long Island, New York, to face the redoubtable Indian side currently at number one in the one-day international and Twenty20 rankings, and second in the world’s Test league.

The competition, which runs until June 29, is being shared with the West Indies. All of Ireland’s qualifying matches are in the US and all start at 3.30pm our time. This denies fans the opportunity to enjoy one of the defining features of limited-over cricket, the day/nighter with the ball often behaving differently under floodlights.

The 34,000-seat stadium’s four pitches were grown in Australia and “dropped in” a fortnight ago. Everything will be dismantled once the last over is bowled.

On Thursday, meanwhile, Premier League clubs vote on a proposal to dismantle video-assisted refereeing (VAR).

They won’t, of course, despite the fact that this so-called innovation the spontaneous enjoyment, and enthusiasm out of every match-attending supporter, replacing it with protracted pauses in the game.

They won’t act because TV likes this aspect of the game, thus prioritising the interests of armchair viewers over those who actually attend, the same people who are increasingly inconvenienced by maladroit kick-off times and fixture re-arrangements to suit the desires of programme schedulers.

What we will get is some waffle about “learning lessons” and “reforming the system to make it work better in the interests of everyone”.

VAR was imposed on the sport by those who fail to understand that perfect is the enemy of good. Until it, and its operators, prove they can work efficiently, quickly and accurately, the process should be stood down.

Drone projects

Does anyone remember being asked whether you wanted a future in which a fleet of drones would hover regularly above your daily life, carrying out yet-to-be-determined functions?

But then, none of us were given the chance to express a view on the proliferation of e-bikes and e-scooters before they rolled into view.

Dublin City Council, which is establishing a dedicated “drone unit” to “support an accelerated adoption of the technology”, will not be the only organisation, civic or otherwise, harbouring ambitions to colonise the air over our heads.

An “ambitious” urban air mobility strategy is being informed by “international experts”.

In other words, people who see an opportunity.

Researching an issue is a good idea. But there must be no presumption that this is an advance desired by the majority of citizens in this country. Because no one has asked them. And they may have something to say about technocrats getting ahead of themselves.

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