A new political entity, the One Love Alliance (OLA), officially entered the South African political landscape on 21 September 2026, pledging to prioritise the mitigation of gender-based violence (GBV) and address systemic housing shortages. The movement introduced its manifesto to the public yesterday, aiming to carve out a space in an increasingly crowded field of smaller, community-focused political parties.
Amidst questions regarding the party’s visual identity and cultural aesthetic, leadership moved to clarify that the organisation is not restricted to any specific religious or cultural group. Representatives stressed that the party’s platform is designed to accommodate the needs of all South Africans, distancing themselves from labels that link their name or branding to Rastafarianism.
We’re not a Rasta party. People see the colours and the dreadlocks and they assume, but we are a political party for all South Africans.
The emergence of the OLA reflects a wider trend across the Western Cape, where local organisations are forming to challenge established political structures. These groups often focus their campaigns on specific service delivery failures that have left thousands of residents in the Cape Flats and surrounding areas struggling with inadequate accommodation and safety concerns.
The party has identified the high rates of gender-based violence as a core pillar of its policy proposals, alongside a commitment to reforming local housing distribution. By centering these two issues, the OLA hopes to capture the attention of voters who feel that national parties have failed to provide tangible improvements to their immediate living conditions.
Cape Flats News journalists were at the scene of the launch to verify the party’s public positioning and hear from the representatives. While the launch provided clarity on their policy priorities, specific details regarding the party’s current registration status with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) remain unverified, as does the comprehensive list of its leadership members.
We are currently reaching out to the IEC to confirm the registration status of the One Love Alliance and will provide an update as soon as more information becomes available.