Coalition Governance and Public Discourse in South Africa: A Critical Analysis of Mediated Political Speech

Coalition governance has become a prominent feature of South Africa’s political landscape, particularly after the 2024 general elections, when no single party secured an outright majority. Limited empirical research has examined how coalitions in democracies are framed in media discourse, and the implications for political legitimacy and public perception. An analysis of representations of coalition governance in political commentary disseminated through non-traditional media platforms (podcasts, televised interviews, public lectures) addresses this limitation. Adopting a qualitative approach, it employs discourse and framing analysis to examine how key political actors are discursively constructed in mediated narratives. A purposive sample of media content was selected to capture diverse ideological perspectives and institutional voices during the 2024 coalition formation period. The findings reveal that dominant discursive frames emphasise instability, elite-driven negotiation and ideological fragmentation, which collectively foster perceptions of fragility and erode public trust in coalition governance. Media narratives, particularly those articulated through popular and accessible digital platforms, play a pivotal role in shaping public understanding and evaluation of coalition politics. By interrogating these mediated constructions, my study contributes to debates on political communication, discourse and democratic consolidation in South Africa’s evolving multi-party governance system.