BY HLANGANANI GUMBI
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has entered into what should be a new and most exciting decade for politics in South Africa. The DA has grown from a minor opposition party to the efficient and effective official opposition it is today. If the strategists who engineered this immense growth continue with the bold and visionary objective of creating an open opportunity society for all, the African National Congress (ANC) will be unable to block the DA’s growing support. This should lead to the DA, with other opposition parties, governing locally provincially, and being a large alternative in the National Assembly.
I recently read an article titled, “Eusebius McKaiser: Only a black-led party has a hope of taking on the ANC” while I was in the States. The first thing that came to mind was that the core of the article was nothing new, innovative, nor explosive in its message to what many senior political commentators have had to say. The article centred on the fact that any possible merger between the DA and Congress of the People (COPE), has to be perceived, and be, black-led. The second point which it focused on was that the ideology of the party should be one that places social justice as the most important point in which to build the party.
On the first point, the DA is a non-racial party. That is a core principle of the party which should not be compromised in order to gain votes. To institute the leadership of a party on the basis of the colour of his/her skin, would be nothing less than ANC policy of cadre deployment, and also implicitly racist in itself. I certainly agree that South Africa’s demographics should drastically increase the likelihood of a black president and leadership, but certainly should not guarantee it. The open possibility for all races is what the DA promotes, and must continue to promote from within its structures. Only a non-racial principle will ensure that the party has lasting growth – as opposed to the short-term method of window-dressing, which fools nobody, and must be totally resisted.
On the second point, it is quite obvious that social justice must be at the forefront of all political parties in South Africa. South Africa’s history which is evident in society today necessitates this in order to transcend the past, and enjoy the goals which our country has shed blood for. The DA understands this, as they currently fight for social justice. Where many analysts such as Eusebius McKaiser get the view that the DA does not, I suspect, is in the DA’s opposition to window-dressing with regards to Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) and affirmative action. The DA, as opposed to the ANC, supports Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment, and Affirmative Action measures which are established in an organic fashion in order to have a lasting effect in society. The ANC in contrast window-dresses BEE through cadre deployment, and promote an elite-based BEE scheme.
The DA needs to continue with its quest to creating the open opportunity society we all dream off. It needs to continuously make the changes, when necessary, to its policy in order to continue to allow its policy to be contextualized into the South African environment and creating their noble ideals within that perspective. That is why I think that the much anticipated possible merger between COPE and the DA is unimportant, unless its momentum is carried by people whom believe in these ideals. Political parties are made on people. Hence, this possible merger will be built on people. That is why, when the DA sits across COPE on the negotiation table, certain things are rightfully non-negotiable. If any advantage that the possible merger may bring is the hope and possibilities in the electorate, that for once since the dawn of democracy, the ANC has a serious alternative party which can win during elections.
The DA in the coming year of its negotiations with COPE in my individual opinion should concentrate on creating an environment conducive for other leaders of political parties to join the ranks of the DA’s well-oiled political engine. Leaders such as Terror Lekota, Phillip Dexter, Patricia De Lille, Lance Greyling, Bantu Holomisa and other influential and experienced politicians – who themselves arguably believe in an open opportunity society – should be practicing their trade from the well-organised, resourced, efficient, and effective machine of the DA, whether it be under a different banner or not. Basically, the DA should open its doors wider, not build a new one. Once many of these high profile leaders are able to come into the established DA, they will be able to go congresses and win positions in the organisation. This will not only increase the party’s diversity, but also draw in a whole new pool of supporters.
The DA also recognizes the need to continue to take proactive steps in order to increase the diversity within the party, like they fight for it within the country. Those are challenges shared by all political parties. The DA, which dates its history back to the times of the Progressive Party days, was always initially a party which had a likelihood of being majority white due to the nature of the political landscape at the time. As times have changed, so has the party. No party in South Africa today has been more confrontational about its diversity needs than the DA. In the short space of time, the DA has made the most gains in bringing diversity that is organically generated within the party, than any other South African political party. The ANC in contrast simply deploys cadres into positions, which is certainly not the same. In effect what they do is actually fool the electorate that those deployed cadres are the change that we wish our society to see. These gains over the years, can only be accelerated in 2010, and the decade ahead.
The DA also needs to continue to be the efficient and effective opposition it is today in the National Assembly. The ANC, and by extension the Tripartite Alliance will continue to have infighting due to the selfish, greedy and unsustainable nature of the alliance. A lack of clear leadership in the ANC, a loose cannon heading the ANC youth league and a communist party attempting to share power with a nationalist capitalist organisation is brewing an explosive cocktail which will lead to a focus off good governance.
The DA needs to continue its extensive oversight over these issues, which in effect result in poor South Africans denied their opportunities and liberties in the economy, and become victims of a diplomatic form of oppression. If the DA can continue with its good oversight abilities, it will not only curb bad governance, but allow the DA to benefit from the endless liabilities of the ruling alliance.
The last and probably most important thing that the DA needs to do is govern excellently in the Western Cape. The DA’s Western Cape administration will be able to grow beyond their current borders if significant improvements are made in people’s lives in the Western Cape. That process though has already started. For example, there has already been an over 90% drop in crime in Cape Town which is the large metropolitan area of the Western Cape. That is due to strong efforts of the DA run municipality and province. These substantial improvements will be more valuable than any other skilful political moves. The DA must also remember that it is better to be a good opposition, than a poor government.
While I am both excited at being part of the Democratic Alliance team, and eagerly wait for the next decade to unfold, I am also cautious and wary of the challenges that lie ahead. That is why I have taken the current position that I have mentioned above. We must open our doors wider, and not create a new one, in any way possible. We must not be misled into short-term thinking which compromises our principles. And we must continue to do the basics well which has always allowed to grow, this means to govern excellently were we govern; to provide good oversight were we are in opposition; and to always value diversity and fight for social justice in our country.
Hlanganani Gumbi is chairperson of the DA Youth’s Eastern Cape branch.
Tags: anc, da, opposition politics, political parties