Rise Mzansi

Rise Mzansi (RISE) is a South African political party founded in April 2023. It is led by Songezo Zibi, a former newspaper editor and co-founder of the Rivonia Circle think tank. The party characterises their ideology as social democratic but has been defined elsewhere as neoliberal.

Formation
Rise Mzansi was launched on 19 April 2023 at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg. Songezo Zibi was named as party leader. Zibi is former associate editor of the Financial Mail and former editor of Business Day as well as the Rivonia Circle think tank co-founder. The party's national leadership includes former Democratic Alliance public representative Makashule Gana, former anti-apartheid activist Ishmael Mkhabela, Mandla Isaacs former speechwriter for Minister Malusi Gigaba, and Nick Binedell, founder of the GIBS business school. The party intends on contesting the 2024 general elections with Zibi as the party's presidential candidate.

In August 2023, Member of Parliament Nomsa Marchesi resigned from the Democratic Alliance and joined Rise Mzansi as the party's Free State convenor. In November 2023, student leader David Kabwa's party, MOVE SA, announced that it would contest the 2024 elections under the banner of Rise Mzansi. In January 2024, Khume Ramulifho, another former member of the DA joined the party.

Politics
Rise Mzansi's leader, Songezo Zibi, has described himself as a social democrat and used to give other politicians copies of the book The Third Man, a memoir by Peter Mandelson that documents and advocates third way politics as implemented by New Labour in the UK. He has also written in support of the third way.

Zibi describes Rise Mzansi as a "typical European centrist party." The party has been described by commentators as "leaning towards social democracy" or as neoliberal with social democratic rhetoric.

The party's manifesto for the 2024 election has been described as focused on professionalising the government of South Africa and reducing corruption.

According to their website, they stand for the following principles:


 * "A constitutional democracy, where the constitution is the supreme law.
 * A government based on the will of the people and elected by the people.
 * Free, fair and regular elections that are run independently.
 * South African people enjoying their freedoms without the fear of criminals.
 * All South Africans having access to quality basic services and opportunities to live a better life.
 * Public representatives who serve the people and are accountable, ethical and do their duty with care."

2024 campaign
Rise Mzansi's campaign slogan for the general elections is "2024 Is Our 1994", in reference to South Africa's first democratic elections. In April 2023, Rise Mzansi rejected calls to join the Democratic Alliance-initiated "Moonshot Pact" (later Multi-Party Charter) of opposition parties on the grounds that the pact is solely based on removing the ANC and keeping the EFF from national power. Rather than forming itself only around opposing the ANC, Rise Mzansi says it is focused on developing substantive alternative politics and policies.

Funders
The IEC released donor information for the period 1 October to 31 December 2023; Rise Mzansi raised R16.7 million; more than any other party during that period.

National Assembly elections
! Election ! Party leader ! Total votes ! Share of vote ! Seats ! +/– ! Government ! 2024
 * Songezo Zibi
 * 67,975
 * 0.42%
 * 2
 * ANC–DA–IFP–PA–GOOD–PAC–VF+–UDM–RISE coalition government
 * }
 * }

National Council of Provinces elections
! Election ! Total # of seats won ! +/– ! Government ! 2024
 * New
 * Extraparliamentary opposition
 * }
 * }

Provincial elections
! rowspan=2 | Election ! colspan=2 | Eastern Cape ! colspan=2 | Free State ! colspan=2 | Gauteng ! colspan=2 | Kwazulu-Natal ! colspan=2 | Limpopo ! colspan=2 | Mpumalanga ! colspan=2 | North-West ! colspan=2 | Northern Cape ! colspan=2 | Western Cape ! % !! Seats ! % !! Seats ! % !! Seats ! % !! Seats ! % !! Seats ! % !! Seats ! % !! Seats ! % !! Seats ! % !! Seats ! 2024
 * 0.29 || 0/73
 * 0.28 || 0/30
 * 0.98 || 1/80
 * 0.11 || 0/80
 * 0.15 || 0/64
 * 0.19 || 0/51
 * 0.36 || 0/38
 * 0.16 || 0/30
 * 0.51 || 0/42
 * }