What is Electoral Democracy

This chapter traces the ascendancy of the dominant party system and its demise in South African politics. The chapter argues that internal instability within the ANC-ruling party and the emergence of appealing parties like the EFF and others have contributed to the decline of the ANC as the dominant party since the dawn of democracy in 1994. The voting participation has been declining, reflecting the general apathy in society towards the ANC-led government, its electoral systems and processes. Thus, the chapter uses ANC as a case study to demonstrate the ascendancy and demise of its demise as once a dominant party in South African politics. Socio-economic and political factors are cited to contribute to the demise of the ANC as once a dominant political party in South African politics. Fundamentally, both national and local government elections are used to trace ANC electoral dominance and its decline since the democratic dispensation in 1994.