DA’s Davidson calls it a day after 32 years’ service
FORMER Democratic Alliance chief whip Ian Davidson has retired as an MP, citing weariness of parliament and decreasing pension benefits.
Davidson, 62, a representative of the DA and its predecessors for the past 32 years, resigned on December 1.
He joined the Progressive Party as a teenager in 1968, canvassing door to door for Helen Suzman in the Houghton constituency.
“In those days, one had no political career prospects because we held only the one parliamentary seat. But one had a sense of cause and we knew we had to keep Helen there,” he said.
“These days, one senses a degree of entitlement. People join a political party for one year and they believe their involvement entitles them to a position and even a career.”
After qualifying with degrees in law and economics at the universities of the Witwatersrand and Stellenbosch, Davidson embarked on a career as a merchant banker and stockbroker, but became progressively more politically involved.
“My political Damascene experience came as a law student, providing legal aid to a family in the Johannesburg suburb of Riverlea, which at the time was designated a coloured group area.
“I had to assist a mother in getting birth certificates for her three children. When the crumpled piece of grey paper came back from the state, the children had been reclassified black.
“The family was torn apart. The children were moved to Soweto and the mother lost her house. Seeing their faces as they realised their fate changed my life. I realised apartheid was not only immoral, but truly evil.”
So he entered the Johannesburg City Council, representing a ward comprising Parkview and Saxonwold — true-blue, silk-stocking country.
When Tony Leon was elected the member of parliament for Houghton in 1989, Davidson was elected leader of the Democratic Party in the Johannesburg council just in time for massive political changes, with local government showing the way.
He rose to prominence as chairman of the management committee of Johannesburg’s Joint Metropolitan Council under the leadership of Frederik van Zyl Slabbert.
“It was a difficult time. The ANC participated but could not afford allowing the system to function too well. I did get to know Cyril Ramaphosa, who headed the ANC contingent. Often we would meet for lunch and find a way forward.
“I gained an insight into his character and a respect for him, which survives to this day. I just wish he would show his true colours as ANC deputy president, but maybe he is keeping his powder dry.
“One thing I know, and I’ll quote Bobby Godsell: ‘Never underestimate Cyril Ramaphosa.’ ”
In the 1994 general election, in which the DP fared disastrously, Davidson was elected to the Gauteng legislature, and in 1999 he was elected to parliament.
“It was tough to adapt to the shift from power to opposition, but I dealt with it as well as I could.
“In parliament, I enjoyed serving on the finance portfolio committee, which had excellent chairpersons over the years . . . Such committees are rare in parliament.”
Davidson became chief whip of the DA in 2009 and was voted out along with those associated with then-DA parliamentary leader Athol Trollip when Lindiwe Mazibuko’s supporters took over. Since then, he has been the DA spokesman on international relations.
He lists two reasons for his departure: he has become weary of parliament’s ability as a tool with which to change people’s lives, and his pension has reached its capping point, so he loses money if he continues serving.