While ever more political parties claim they are prepared to work with the ANC in some form in a national government, it is worth examining how close to one another these parties can get. There has been at least one public suggestion that this coalition could lead to the birth of a 'South Africa Party' that would represent very different constituencies.

Listen to this article 6 min Listen to this article 6 min Two weeks ago, just before the crucial sitting of the National Assembly that saw opposition parties voting to support the ANC's Cyril Ramaphosa for the position of President, there was a key announcement by a small party.

That party was the NFP. The announcement was that it would join the IFP, ANC and DA in a provincial government. At the time, the focus was that this would keep MK and the EFF out of power in KwaZulu-Natal.

A comment by NFP leader Ivan Barnes may prove to be prophetic. While speaking about the NFP's decision he made a much bigger point. As he put it:

"These leaders of society should not be organised to advance narrow political and factional interests when it is known that they lead communities across all political affiliations. This must be a thing of the past. Joint gatherings and rallies must be held by all parties who are part of the government of national unity and provincial unity as part of ensuring that the people of this country pull behind a common vision."

What he was calling for was quite radical: events involving the...