The formation of the Multi-Party Charter for SA has the potential to be the start of a massive new dynamic in our politics. While there is still a great deal of work to do, this group could lead to real change. Still, the full impact may only be felt in six years, rather than in next year's general election. And decisions around whether to include parties like the Patriotic Alliance could fatally wound the formation before it gets off the ground.

It is a fascinating fact of our politics that, as former Democratic Party leader Tony Leon pointed out last week, the share of the vote won by the opposition to the ANC in national elections has changed very little in nearly 30 years, despite everything else that has changed over that period.

That said, there can be no doubt the ANC is today more vulnerable, particularly after the 2021 local elections.

Possibly, one of the major reasons the share of the vote won by opposition parties has not increased dramatically is that so many people have given up on voting. If any party can excite those who did not vote in 2019 to the polls, that could change the balance of power dramatically.

Many of these stayaway voters complain they have no one to vote for, while for others there is no point in voting because the party they support will not achieve any meaningful success.

The possibility of a coalition government changes all of this, for instead of voting for a single party to run the government, now it is about making sure your party is represented in government. The very fact that this pre-coalition pact exists could...