LETTER: Push back against a quasi-fascist ANC-EFF alliance

In their recent article Milton Shain and Michael Cardo exposed the fascist tendencies of the EFF and their commonality with the ANC (“Malema is not smart enough to be a true fascist”, September 13). Racial nationalism festers in both parties, tied with varying levels of authoritarianism and toxic ideologies from the past.

Given the real possibility that the EFF and ANC will join forces to ensure the ANC remains in government after the 2024 elections, there are many reasons to be afraid. An ANC-EFF coalition enhance both parties’ bad tendencies; instead of holding each other accountable, fears that the EFF’s tendency towards collectivist ideology and racial nationalism would encourage the ANC to become even more radical and less pragmatic are valid.

As a result, opposition parties and reasonable voters need to become increasingly serious about forming a stable alliance of opposition parties to oppose this potentially fatal governing coalition. While the present share of EFF and ANC support is enough to form a government, there is still time for voters to block such a move.

However, the opposition will have to prove themselves worthy. E vents in Johannesburg do not bode well for trust in opposition-led coalitions, but there is time to win back voters. Smaller parties must behave, abandon petty politics and work to maintain the stability and effectiveness of existing coalitions.

This will signal that the opposition coalition project is worth supporting — and encourage more voters to resist a quasi-fascist alliance between the ANC and EFF governing SA post-2024.

Nicholas Woode-Smith, Cape Town

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