DA needs to save itself from its own mess

We have previously challenged Mmusi Maimane and the DA to produce proof that Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille was so corrupt that she needed to be pushed out of office. Instead of producing the proof, the DA opted for what it thought was a short cut to solving its problem, revoking De Lille’s membership based on an interview she gave to 702. In that interview, De Lille revealed her intention to walk away from the DA as soon as she had cleared her name. The DA’s decision has come back to haunt the party. The High Court in Cape Town ruled that De Lille could continue occupying the mayor’s office while the court dealtwith the merits of her removal. With egg on his face, Maimane is now said to have realised that the short cut was the wrong move. The court decision to temporarily reinstate De Lille has embarrassed the official opposition. De Lille has won public sympathy, exposing Maimane and his cohorts as political vigilantes who would throw any mud at De Lille in the hope that it would stick.

It has emerged that Maimane’s supporters are sharpening their daggers in preparation for the party’s federal council meeting, where federal council chairman James Selfe will likely be presented as the sacrificial lamb. According to deep throats in the party, the plan is to push Selfe to fall on his sword and have him replaced. This will be a huge gamble for Maimane, should he allow it to happen. Such a move has the potential to destabilise a DA that is preparing to go head-to-head with a re-energised ANC under the leadership of Cyril Ramaphosa.

According to a survey published in this newspaper, Ramaphosa’s approval rating has shot up since he took over from Jacob Zuma 100 days ago. Selfe’s backers are likely to push back and launch a counter-campaign against Maimane. This is likely to cripple the party’s election machinery and demoralise its ground troops. The fight may also discourage some voters who may see DA leaders as being no different from their ever-bickering ANC counterparts. A leadership squabble will only reverse the gains the party has made over the years. A political solution should be sought to resolve the De Lille mess if the DA is serious about running the country in the future.