In some ways our wildest dreams have come true. The ANC have failed miserably in this election. They are, without doubt the biggest losers – and it took many of us thirty years to stop handing them carte blanche to ruin the country. I almost felt a bit sorry for Cyril and Fikile at the IEC last night, but then I kicked myself hard in the ass and realised that this election was their just dessert. 

While there are many in the media talking about MK, we know their success is just the result of grievance politics and ultimately they’re not very interested in governing. A house built on spite and resentment will just make a lot of noise. Their lack of direction will cause things to go badly within, quickly – and it’s already very messy in their Nkandla homestead. 

The DA have done very well, getting close to their high-water mark of 22,23%. Turns out Mmusi wasn’t some kind of black DA-Jesus. He and BOSA only got two seats. I’m glad he’ll be in parliament, but he’s not the power-player so many white liberals told us he was. Two-thirds of DA voters this time were black, and the Western Cape, Gauteng, KZN and the Northern Cape are now outside of ANC control. 

Anyone else notice how quiet the EFF have been? Apart from Julius whining that he would’ve given them everything, but alas, they didn’t vote for him. Great strategy going forward, CIC… Your movement reached its high water mark in 2019 and I’m sorry to tell you it’s all downhill from here. There will be less red berets in parliament and in the provincial legislatures. Maybe some work will get done.

Regardless of where the coalitions take us, South Africa looks like a real democracy now. Nobody will be able to act with impunity any longer. Everyone will be checking and balancing everyone – and it will be messy. We might have up to five presidents in the next five years, and maybe only a little legislation will be passed (and that might not be a bad thing). There is much work still ahead of us, but I have absolutely no doubt that The Podcast Party had a powerful effect on making people think, act and vote differently. The best way to gauge this is in the manner people have begun to interact on social media with us, not to mention the way the political parties and their leaders have taken us seriously. 

Long before eNCA, news24 and Newzroom brought any of them on, we had Frans Cronje, Wayne Sussman and Dawie Scholtz on. The SRF were on the money with their predictions. Going forward, their critics can safely be ignored and Frans and Gareth van Onselen should be listened to as if they were preaching the gospel. They told you so. 

By raising small voices on big platforms, disseminating information to wide audiences online and discussing the policy issues in a way that made it accessible to so many, we’ve produced a large volume of quality content – and despite so many technical challenges, we can claim to have made an impact in so many lives – and remember, the Podcast Party only started this year. Imagine how much we’ll be able to do going forward?

One day, when historians write the story of South Africa’s recovery – and I believe this is the start of co-operation between disparate factions in this very diverse place – they’ll find a treasure trove of insight in our little ‘time-capsule’ of interviews, panel discussions, personalities and content pieces. We certainly did a lot more than the R20-30m Oppenheimer money did at Rise Mzansi. 

We have a foundation of credibility to keep expanding our influence with… let’s keep things moving in the right direction! Subscribe to our YouTube channel – Podcast Party SA – and stay informed about what’s happening in the news and in our lives. 

Gareth Cliff – Co-Founder: Podcast Party