Campaign to ‘save’ DA
The Institute of Race Relations (IRR) has taken yet another step to influence the direction of the Democratic Alliance (DA), launching a campaign entitled #SaveTheOpposition yesterday.
South Africa’s second-largest party is in a tug-of-war involving those who are trying to return the party to its old, liberal values and those seeking to broaden its ideology by including transformation and diversity in policies.
The former, seen as the liberal bloc, have been linked to former leader Helen Zille, who is now a contender for the federal council chairperson position. The latter have been linked to embattled party leader Mmusi Maimane, who has been at the centre of two recent storms.
Maimane has been questioned over his stay in a R4 million house in Claremont – which he declared in the parliamentary register even though he did not own the property – and his use of a hired car which disgraced Steinhoff chief executive officer, Markus Jooste paid for.
The IRR recently published an opinion piece by its analyst and campaigns coordinator Hermann Pretorius, calling for Maimane to step down.
The article sparked much controversy and criticism over the use of the term “white man”.
It called for Western Cape premier Alan Winde to replace Maimane, claiming he was leading the “winds of change” for the province and would be a more suitable leader.
“It is a party without direction, without identity and, if it remains stubborn and deaf to the advice of people who believe in true liberal democracy, without a future,” Pretorius said.
The IRR says it has become “painfully clear” amidst “factional warfare” in the DA that it needs to intervene in the dire state of opposition politics in the country, even though it’s focusing its attention on only one of the 13 opposition parties represented in the National Assembly.
It says the DA must be held to account and saved from becoming a “hijacked opposition”.
“We ‘interfere’ in the affairs of business, government, and political parties all the time to win their support for policies that will ensure South Africa’s success and the prosperity of all its people,” argues Pretorius. – News24 Wire