I'M SO WHITE I'M BLACKIt’s 1 in the morning. There is a sound outside; it could be an over-revving car or a cat on the roof. It catches everyone’s concern but the night settles the stir. But then there is that dog that always starts barking, and persists on yapping long after the noise has calmed. This dog is the DA. After 5 minutes of non-stop barking, the dog alerts other dogs on the street and the neighbourhood becomes an orchestra of howling. It is an uncoordinated chorus of dogs from high pitched squeaking to those deep grumble barks. This is the rest of the opposition parties.
And that’s the problem with SA politics. There are so many groups playing their own tune that an opposition to the ANC can’t be pulled together. The DA is considered the ‘official opposition’ but in reality are they?
At the same time, there are many factions of right of centre coloured/black parties. There is De Lille’s ID, Bantu’s UDM and the Minority Front to name a few. They, including the DA, all are arguing on the same thing at the end of the day. It’s to break the ANC hegemony, fight corruption, crime…have you not heard this all before? But they can’t do this effectively if all are playing their own tunes.
Let’s face it, a leopard can’t change its spots and Tony will never be a comrade or be invited for tea with the PAC and other lefties. The only way the DA can grow is if it consolidates its power on the right of centre by amalgamating the centre right parties. Some may say this can’t be done because the race card is too divisive. But think about it, why not? There are many uniting issues and concerns which cross this colour barrier, such as crime, the economy etc.
Imagine if an opposition grew to include conservative whites, coloureds and the spillover of the black middle class from the ANC. This is political maturity where a two major party state could emerge like
But in order to do this, the DA must make a sincere attempt to place people of colour in the top brass of their leadership. Does this mean De Lille should become the new Tony? Does mean that ipso facto, Tony has to step down in order for the DA to grow? As much as I don’t like Patricia and as much as I like Tony, I’m afraid to say this dog has had his day.
1 comment:
Mach 3; The political system in South Africa works upon a Balance of Power system, quite simply as you point out its the ANC vs the Rest, is this such a bad thing?
I would rather put my vote behind a smaller party who will not compromise their value interms of votes. The DA is certainly a needed force in SA if anything but to give the opposition a voice by yapping at the ANCs every move a controlling factor you might say.
The DA thus are infact an Actor which is way more powerful than the average man on the street credits them with. True the opposition, they are all fighting the single party hegemon and corruption but from vastly different frames of refrence, it would be foolish to expect these factions to unite.
No doubt the DA have thought about aligning the centre right but this WILL risk aleination of theier large Colored base IE Western Cape etc. There is no way overall crime will unite in a vote right now.
Any hope of the ANC middle class black diverting to the DA will not happen now or in the forseeable future, Fact Zille is running as DA Chair in the elections, a step in the right directions but not nearly enough.
Its sad but true the ANC Hegemony will contiue because the average voter in South Africa is largely uneducated and feel they are indebted to their freedom fighters.
SA will survive in its current state albeit in a decline until a viable Black Party arises or the ANC evolves into that party whcih is more likely and you know what,,, They will have my vote!
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