With the 2024 National Election seeming to edge nearer, political parties have already began lobbying themselves to the public in what will arguably be the most contested election since our democracy.

One can argue that the 30 year anniversary of the birth of South Africa's democracy will see citizens truly reflect on what three decades mean and direct their energy to the polls. Others say that we'll probably see a repeat of the past few elections: an increase in voter apathy.

Needless to say, political parties and independent candidates have a great task ahead of them. One of these parties being, the Democratic Alliance (DA), who recently launched the 'Moonshot Pact'.

In a country where the political climate is so rife, where coalitions are unstable, is another coalition like agreement what South Africans need right now?

The Moonshot Pact:  "A strong and lasting Pact against the ANC and EFF"

Following the recent DA Congress, many have waited in anticipation for the DA to truly reveal the details of its new proposal to the public.

'Moonshot pact' it was called, and following what seemed like a sales pitch drawing people in with their common dislike for what has been marred as poor service delivery from the ANC as well as the 'ANC-EFF doomsday', many were sold.

Party leader, John Steenhuisen has since launched this pact, and its goals: to get the African National Congress (ANC) below 50%.

1 pact, 15 parties and a convention

The DA has made it clear who its enemies are going into the 2024 elections: the ANC and Economc Freedom Fighters (EFF), and hence their exclusion along with any other parties who align with these two parties. 

So who does that leave among those who received the ever-so 'exclusive' invitation to partake in the creation of the pact?

According to DA leader, John Steenhuisen, 15 opposition parties have been invited to join the DA in what he described as the "effort to form a pre-election Moonshot Pact", with the hopes of creating a united opposition.

Steenhuisen announced that of the 15 parties, six had confirmed including the DA, Freedom Front Plus (VF+), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), United Independent Movement (UIM), National Freedom Party (NFP) and ActionSA.

Meanwhile, ActionSA party leader, Herman Mashaba has since denied his party's involvement, adding that Steenhuisen's announcement came as a shock.

Leader of the newly formed party, Xiluva, who was also invited to contribute, Bongani Baloyi has also since rejected the offer, citing his party' being new as a reason.

Two other parties have also rejected the invite, the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) and Bantu Holomisa's United Democratic Movement (UDM).

Holomisa has since come out to criticise Steenhuisen, calling him 'desparate', and emphasising his party's stance to remain independent from political donors.

With the DA's plan seemingly struggling to take shape, the party awaits responses from African Independent Congress (AIC), African Transformation Movement (ATM), Abantu Batho Congress (ABC), Pan African Congress (PAC) Minority Front (MF), Rise Mzansi and Mmusi Maimane's Build One South Africa (BOSA).

Road to 2024: Is the 'Moonshot Pact' what voters need?

"During the 2021 local government elections, a third of all voters cast their ballot for one of these parties. Our task now is to grow this Pact’s support from a third, to just over half of all votes in 2024."- DA leader John Steenhuisen

The DA's strategy, though very simple on paper, will be quite difficult to execute. 

The party's failed attempt at leading municipalities like Johannesburg and Tshwane has been marred by poor planning, lack of cohesion and backstabbing by coalition members. 

In Tshwane, we have seen how two Council elections have failed due to the lack of trust between members of the DA-led coalition, and in Johannesburg, the undermining of some political parties and the use of power against them has led to some (ie. Patriotic Alliance) siding with the opposition. 

Given the circumstances, how then, can one entrust a party to build a strong coalition of such a magnitude at national level?

Is the DA desperate, and will this desperation lead to a breakthrough in its  votes in the 2024 election? 

Or will this election see yet another repeat of events marred by the public's lack of interest?