Creatures Great and Small
Today marks the celebration of three very different animals. In addition to World Otter Day, it is National Alligator Day and National Snail Day in the United States. Otters are semiaquatic animals noted for their playful behavior, found in both freshwater and saltwater locales. Alligators are carnivorous reptiles similar to, but distinct from, crocodiles. And snails may lack the otter’s charm and gator’s strength, but these gastropods are no less fascinating, marvels of evolution in their own right.
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South Africa Votes
Today South Africa holds national and provincial elections. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the country’s 1994 election—which was the first to be held after the fall of legislated apartheid and the first held by universal suffrage—when Nelson Mandela was elected the country’s first black president. This year’s contest also promises to be a landmark election. Here’s why.
Discontent
The election has shaped up to be the toughest yet for the African National Congress (ANC), the ruling party since 1994, as it faces multiple challenges to retain a majority in the National Assembly and to secure another term for Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa (pictured below). The ANC has seen its support erode over the years. The country’s high unemployment rate—in the first quarter of 2024 it stood at 32.9 percent—as well as service delivery problems such as ongoing struggles to consistently deliver electricity, has influenced voters’ opinions.
More competition
Thanks to the Electoral Amendment Act of 2023, independent candidates can contest seats in the National Assembly and in provincial legislatures—in the past, one had to be affiliated with a political party to do so. One new political party, uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party), has emerged as a strong challenger to the ANC, even garnering the support of controversial former president Jacob Zuma. The MK Party has already proved its ability to take a stake of the ANC’s traditional vote in by-elections held in early 2024, a trend that seems likely to carry over into today’s results.
Coalition to come?
The ANC’s diminishing support means that there is a strong possibility that a coalition of parties will need to be formed to govern the country. Should that happen, the ANC will need to find one or more parties with which to form a governing coalition—or risk being ousted by a coalition of other parties, such as the Multi-Party Charter, an alliance of opposition parties spearheaded by John Steenhuisen of the Democratic Alliance.
Phil Magakoe—AFP/Getty Images
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