Primary colours

 

Pundits were wrapping their brains with what the announcement of Mamphela Ramphele as the official presidential candidate of the Democratic Alliance could mean for the political landscape of South Africa. The move, bold and daring, would change the political narrative of South Africa away from racial tensions to something else. Unfortunately for these pundits, these existential questions on the future of South Africa did not have to be answered because the marriage was called off before the engagement party was even over.

 

The “game-changing” moment in South Africa’s post-apartheid journey quickly has become the most embarrassing moment for the DA caught on camera. Ramphele’s surprise announcement of joining the DA removed racial barriers and gave the DA a fighting chance to fight the ANC with a whole new set of rules. It was a milestone of showing the empowerment of black consciousness that would usher in a black-against-black leadership race that potentially could focus on real issues in the country such as the economy.

 

More than that, the move could have shown the political maturity of South Africa’s political spectrum by moving from a 1994 scenario of having a circus of candidates based on ethnicity and fancy names, such as the KISS and SOCCER parties, to a consolidated two or three party system much like in the United States and the United Kingdom. And it was moving that way: Helen Zille and the DA were swallowing up all centre right parties and other parties were consolidating under different colours…no not black and white…but primary colours. The ANC would place itself under the yellow banner of being left of centre, the DA would be the economically conservative blue party and the yet to be tested EFF would be the radical left party in a shade of revolutionary red.

 

That would be the evolution of politics. A progression away from racial colours towards segregation lines based on economic policies.

 

However, the ANC and unions were quick to paint Ramphele and Zilles’ move as nothing more than a rented-face. Perhaps they are right, and maybe South Africa is not yet ready for real change in black empowered. No sooner had Ramphele joined, she was already packing the bags and leaving. With the 2014 election around the corner, the country is back to a melting-pot of parties, an Italian senate bonanza and an ANC with a monopolising hand. Maybe this is the way the country is supposed to be: a multi-party milieu of conflicting views which are truely proportionate and representative of the population.

 

*Maybe I was wrong about all of this and the merger was all a ploy to draw the lines of politics along gender lines with two women up against one big black guy (#contraversialstatements).