Little Consensus in the Wake of the South African Municipal Vote

In another sign of the African National Congress's (ANC's) waning influence, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, Julius Malema, said Aug. 17 that his party would not participate in any formal coalition in South African municipalities where no party won a majority in Aug. 3 elections. Given the EFF's demands, which include the removal of ANC leader President Jacob Zuma and the nationalization of mines and banks, the failure to build municipal coalitions with the ANC or the rival Democratic Alliance (DA) was not surprising. However, the ramifications of the decision could continue the downward slide of the party that has dominated South African politics since the end of apartheid....