The IC Alliance is designed to bridge the gap between two failed models of political representation: the isolated independent candidate and the centrally controlled parties
Breaking the “Independent’s Ceiling”
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The Problem: Historically, independent candidates who run alone have no access to the “list vote” (proportional representation), capping their power at a single ward seat regardless of their total support across a municipality.
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The Solution: As a registered alliance, ICAlliance allows community-selected candidates to collectively utilize the proportional representation (PR) system, meaning votes across different wards accumulate to secure more council seats.
Structural Integrity vs. Top-Down Control
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Community Primaries: Unlike traditional parties where leadership imposes candidates from the top down, ICAlliance candidates are chosen by the residents of their own wards through open primary elections.
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Constitutional Protection: ICAlliance’s founding documents make community-led selection and voting independence a legal obligation that cannot be overridden by leadership.
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No Whip System: ICAlliance councillors are not subject to a party whip; they are accountable to their local Ward Community Assembly and vote according to their ward’s mandate on local matters.
How We Govern: A New Approach
ICAlliance is built to be a governing movement rather than a protest vehicle, focusing on the specific mechanics of council control.
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Coalition Strategy: ICAlliance recognizes that hung councils are the norm, not the exception, in South Africa. Our strategy focuses on securing high-leverage positions like the Speaker or specific MMC portfolios that allow for real influence over the legislative agenda and service delivery.
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Binding Agreements: In coalition scenarios, ICAlliance insists on written, binding agreements that preserve our constitutional right to transparency, participation, and free votes on ward-specific issues.
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Recall Mechanism: Communities have the right to hold representatives accountable. If a precentage of supporters in a ward petition for a review, a formal recall process can lead to the withdrawal of the Alliance’s endorsement of an underperforming councillor.
Accountability in Action
We believe that what we do on behalf of residents must be visible to residents.
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Transparency: Every ICAlliance councillor publishes their attendance and voting records monthly.
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Local Mandates: In addition to national commitments, every ICAlliance candidate writes a manifesto specifically for their ward’s needs, addressing issues that only local residents truly understand.
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Fiscal Responsibility: We hold ourselves to strict standards of financial management, including independent annual audits and public disclosure of all donations above R2,000 to ensure we remain beholden only to the communities we serve.
