With public claims being made by the ANC that it could again regain power in the three metros in Gauteng by Christmas, there are some indications that this renewed effort could herald a real change in our politics. In particular, the ANC's claims that it could in fact work with ActionSA, despite that party's repeated statements it would never work with the governing party, could be the start of a real shift.
It is also possible that none of this will happen and that many of the statements being made now are promises that will almost inevitably be broken. It is clear that the real question is about confidence, whether parties can trust one another, and whether voters can trust their promises.
On Sunday, both the Sunday Times and the City Press newspapers ran reports quoting ANC leaders in Gauteng as saying they were confident that they would have retaken control of both Tshwane and Ekurhuleni by "Christmas". Key to this is their relationship with the EFF and with other smaller parties.
Perhaps the most startling claim is that the ANC may in fact be involved in negotiations with Herman Mashaba's ActionSA and that this party could move away from...
