After twenty-five years in power, one would expect that the African National Congress — the party that brought South Africans the Marikana massacre, 40 percent unemployment, six-hour power cuts, systemic broken local governance, the corruption of Jacob Zuma and the Guptas, and more — would be on the ropes. But for some reason the opposition has not been able to capitalize on this.

When last week’s election results were announced, the ANC still won with a clear majority (57.6 percent of the national vote) and eight out of nine provinces. Despite the damage the ANC has inflicted on itself and the country, its opposition is still not a serious political threat. Why has a serious alternative to the ANC not emerged?

For twenty-five years, many on the Left believed that building an alternative would require South African civil society, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and social movements to create a countervailing power outside the state to hold the ANC to account, but this hasn’t produced the desired results. The short answer is that South African politics urgently needs an injection of electoral energy from the Left, a political current that speaks in a language that resonates with voters, rejects all forms of chauvinism, and embraces democracy.