Solly Moeng | Does reputation matter in politics?

Solly Moeng tries to answer the question of whether reputation matters in politics - and discovers the issue is complicated.

When South African voters discuss the electoral options before them ahead of major elections, the often-recurring question is "who else can we vote for to replace the ANC?"

If nothing changes, and unless credible opposition leaders come together under one banner to propose a viable alternative to the governing ANC, the country will see more voters opting to stay home during the upcoming local government elections, and the majority of those who do vote will continue the known pattern of supporting the devil they know. Should this happen, we shall be sure to continue seeing more of the same in the lead up to the 2024 general elections.