DA needs to be wary of threat posed by smaller coalitions

THE DA is worried, and rightly so. A real existential crisis looms come May 29. The DA has been running the Western Cape for 15 years, boasting of multiple clean audits and the lowest unemployment rate in South Africa.

But one thing that can bedevil the official opposition is the notion of being just that – simply a good opposition party.

While the DA has hopes of governing the country, they should not become complacent. The real threat lies here in the Western Cape if smaller political parties band together to overthrow the ruling DA.

DA leader John Steenhuisen is well aware of the threat that smaller parties could cause their demise.

For once, the DA has shifted gear away from the ANC to the likes of the PA, Rise Mzansi, the GOOD Party and the National Coloured Congress. These smaller parties have shown their might in the Western Cape, and support continues to grow.

We saw the might of the PA at the recent court appearances of the suspects wanted in connection with the disappearance of Joshlin Smith. Its leader, Gayton Mckenzie, announced a R1 million reward for the safe return of the 6-year-old Saldanha Bay girl.

Patricia de Lille’s GOOD party resonates strongly with the coloured voter and Rise Mzansi offers a progressive alternative when compared to the ANC and EFF. Then, there is the National Coloured Congress, led by Fadiel Adams, the founder of the Gatvol Capetonian Movement, which is indicative of how many Capetonians feel – fed-up with being overlooked when it comes to jobs, housing and a sense of safety and security.

While ideologies might be vastly different to that of the ANC or EFF, perhaps it is a tactic these parties can use if they want to overthrow the DA.

The race factor is an important one in the province as we see some smaller parties are built on racial identities and may thrive given that the majority is a coloured vote.

While it may be no easy feat to dismantle the DA and dissuade the loyal voter, smaller parties need to be smart enough and start somewhere and form the correct coalitions that won’t fizzle out within a few months.