Multi-Party Charter
The Multi-Party Charter (MPC), officially the Multi-Party Charter For South Africa (MPCSA), formerly known as the Moonshot Pact, was a pre-election agreement in South Africa that presented a united front in the 2024 South African general election against the three-decade rule of the African National Congress (ANC) and the recent rise of the controversial Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK Party) and Patriotic Alliance (PA). After the 2024 general election, the MPC dissolved after failing to obtain enough votes to form a government. Subsequently after dissolution, the majority of the main MPC parties joined the ANC-DA lead Government of National Unity (GNU), apart from the African Christian Democratic Party and ActionSA.
Multi-Party Charter | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | MPC MPCSA |
| Chairperson | William Gumede[1] |
| Founders |
Other founders:
|
| Founded | 17 August 2023 |
| Dissolved | 3 June 2024 |
| Ideology |
|
| Political position | Centre-right[A] |
| Charter parties |
Other parties:
|
| National Assembly | 113 / 400 |
| National Council of Provinces | 25 / 90 [needs update] |
| Provincial Legislatures | 124 / 487 |
^ A: The largest party in the coalition, the Democratic Alliance (DA) is usually described as a broadly centrist, liberal party while smaller parties such as the IFP, FF Plus and ACDP are usually described as leaning right ideologically (see table below). ^ B: The Spectrum National Party, Ekhethu People's Party and Unemployed National Party did not contest in the 2024 South African general election. | |
The Multi-Party Charter (MPC), officially the Multi-Party Charter For South Africa (MPCSA), formerly known as the Moonshot Pact, was a pre-election agreement in South Africa that presented a united front in the 2024 South African general election against the three-decade rule of the African National Congress (ANC) and the recent rise of the controversial Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF),[1] uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK Party)[2] and Patriotic Alliance (PA).[3]
After the 2024 general election, the MPC dissolved after failing to obtain enough votes to form a government.[4] Subsequently after dissolution, the majority of the main MPC parties joined the ANC-DA lead Government of National Unity (GNU), apart from the African Christian Democratic Party and ActionSA.
History
[edit]Early formation
[edit]In early 2023, the African National Congress (ANC) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) formed a coalition in Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni where the two parties hold MMC (member of the municipal council) positions whilst electing a mayor from a minority party.[5] In April 2023, noting the prospects of an ANC/EFF national coalition, the Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen called for "like-minded" parties to join together to prevent a "doomsday coalition".[6]
On 17 August 2023, the pre-election agreement called the Multi-Party Charter was signed between the Democratic Alliance (DA), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus), ActionSA, Independent South African National Civic Organisation (ISANCO), United Independent Movement (UIM) and Spectrum National Party (SNP). The charter group held 108 out of the 400 seat National Assembly.
On 7 October 2023, the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) announced it would be joining the charter, increasing the charter's seat count from 108 to 112 in the 400 seat National Assembly.[7][8]
On 14 December 2023, the Multi-Party Charter announced that two new parties joined the group: the North West-based United Christian Democratic Party (UCDP) and the Gauteng-based Ekhethu People’s Party (EPP).[9]
The Unemployed National Party (UNP) also became a member of the charter.[10]
Disputes
[edit]On 16 February 2024, the Multi-Party Charter rejected the application of the Referendum Party (RP), due to the party's singular support for Cape independence.[11] This is despite the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) party also being in favor of Cape independence.[12] Critics claimed that this casts doubt on the charter's claimed support for political decentralisation.[13]
2024 elections
[edit]Three of the charter's eleven members failed to garner the minimum number of signatures required by the Independent Electoral Commission and will not be contesting in the 2024 South African general election: the Spectrum National Party, Ekhethu People's Party and Unemployed National Party.[14]
During the 2024 election, the parties in the charter collectively won 119 of the 400 seats in the National Assembly, increasing the number of seats by 7.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) and Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) gained 3 seats each while the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) and African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) lost 4 and 1 seats respectively. The newly formed ActionSA underperformed expectations as the party only garnered 1.2% of the votes, which translated to 6 seats.[15]
On 6 June 2024, ActionSA announced they would leave the Multi-Party Charter as the party believed the charter had breached the agreement by considering forming a coalition with the ANC.[16] This decision reduced the charter's seat count from 119 to 113 in the 400 seat National Assembly.[17]
Priorities and principles
[edit]At the joint press statement by the six founding parties the coalition government's priorities were laid out as:[18][19][20]
- Growing the economy
- Creating jobs
- Energy security
- Combatting crime
- Combatting corruption and drugs
- Quality education for all
- High quality infrastructure
- Quality healthcare for all
- Relieving South African households living in poverty
The coalition's agreed-upon principles, called "Shared Governing Principles", are:[18][19][20]
- The South African constitution, rule of law, and equality before the law
- Decentralising the power of government
- A transparent government
- Zero tolerance towards corruption
- Efficient spending of public money by the government
- An open market economy
- Evidence-based policies
- Promoting non-racialism and unity in the country's diversity
Political parties
[edit]The table below lists the parties in the charter. As of 2024, the parties in the charter collectively hold 113 of the 400 seats in the National Assembly.
Main parties
[edit]| Abbr. | Name | Ideology | Political position | Leader | Seats | Vote % at the 2024 election | Government | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DA | Democratic Alliance | Centre-right | John Steenhuisen | 87 / 400
|
21.81% | Government | ||
| IFP | Inkatha Freedom Party IQembu leNkatha yeNkululeko |
Centre-right | Velenkosini Hlabisa | 17 / 400
|
3.85% | Government | ||
| FF Plus | Freedom Front Plus Vryheidsfront Plus |
Right-wing to far-right | Pieter Groenewald | 6 / 400
|
1.36% | Government | ||
| ACDP | African Christian Democratic Party | Centre-right to right-wing | Kenneth Meshoe | 3 / 400
|
0.6% | Opposition |
Other parties
[edit]| Abbr. | Name | Ideology | Political position | Leader | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISANCO | Independent South African National Civic Organisation | Zukile Luyenge | |||
| UIM | United Independent Movement | Christian democracy | Centre-right | Neil de Beer | |
| SNP | Spectrum National Party[a] | Non-racialism Anti-corruption |
Centre-right | Christopher Claassen | |
| UCDP | United Christian Democratic Party | Christian democracy | Centre-right | Modiri Desmond Sehume | |
| EPP | Ekhethu People's Party[a] | Mahlubi John Madela | |||
| UNP | Unemployed National Party[a] | Prince Nkwana |
Former member parties
[edit]| Abbr. | Name | Ideology | Political position | Leader | Seats | Vote % at the 2024 election | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ActionSA | ActionSA | Centre-right | Herman Mashaba | 6 / 400
|
1.2% |
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ a b c Did not contest in the 2024 South African general election.
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Multi-Party National Convention makes solid progress towards a pre-election agreement". Democratic Alliance. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
- ^ Sisanda, Mbolekwa (10 April 2024). "'You choose: ANC, EFF and MK, or multi-party charter': Steenhuisen".
- ^ Steenhuisen, John (5 April 2024). "Vote DA to rescue South Africa from the ANC-EFF-MK Doomsday coalition". Democratic Alliance. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
Forces of destruction in the ANC, EFF and their proxies in small parties like the Patriotic Alliance, were converging towards forming a Doomsday Coalition after the 2024 general election. A year down the line, and this initiative – now known as the Multi-Party Charter (MPC) – has made tremendous progress in forging a common vision and strong bonds.
- ^ "Multi-Party Charter has been dissolved, confirms Hlabisa". Jacaranda FM. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
- ^ "ANC and EFF partnership 'negotiating in good faith' to govern Gauteng metros". 702. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
- ^ "DA to fight ANC-EFF 'doomsday coalition'". BusinessLIVE. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
- ^ "Multi-Party Charter For South Africa Welcomes Announcement by ACDP and Promises More". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 8 October 2023.
- ^ Jeffrey, Lauren (7 October 2023). "Multi-Party Charter For South Africa Welcomes Announcement by ACDP and Promises More". ActionSA. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
- ^ "Two more parties join Multi-Party Charter". BusinessLIVE. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
- ^ Mbolekwa, Sisanda. "ActionSA rejects Referendum Party's bid to join Multi-Party Charter". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ Goba, Thabiso. "Multi-Party Charter snubs Referendum Party as 'devisive'". EWN. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
- ^ "Independence update | VF+ affirms support, IEC troubles for RP and CIP | The Cape Independent". www.capeindependent.com. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
- ^ van Staden, Martin (23 February 2024). "Multi-Party Charter rejects Referendum Party: What it means". BizNews.com. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
- ^ Juniour, Khumalo (15 March 2024). "Three Multiparty Charter members fail to meet election threshold". Newzroom Afrika.
- ^ Makwea, Reitumetse (31 May 2024). "Action SA's Herman Mashaba blames MKP for poor performance". MSN.
- ^ Beaumont, Michael (6 June 2024). "Post-Senate Briefing and the Way Forward for ActionSA". ActionSA. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
ActionSA's Senate has deliberated on our relationship with other political parties going forward. This process has resolved that ActionSA will leave the Multi-Party Charter because of the serious breach by those parties who publicly signed and campaigned under an agreement which expressly ruled out working relationships with the ANC.
- ^ "x.com". X (formerly Twitter).
- ^ a b "Multi-Party National Convention makes solid progress towards a pre-election agreement" (PDF). press-admin.voteda.org. 16 August 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
- ^ a b "Multi-Party National Convention makes solid progress towards a pre-election agreement". Democratic Alliance. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
- ^ a b Johannes (18 August 2023). "A Multi-party Charter for South Africa". ActionSA. Retrieved 9 October 2023.