Next year, South Africa will celebrate its 20th year of democracy.
The country will also hold its fifth democratic elections. And the governing ANC is expected to be reelected to power by voters.
Political parties will focus its election campaigns mostly on the youth, who make up a majority in this country. The new kid on the block Julius Malema’s EFF is said to be a hit with the youth. But will it attract the majority of the youth vote? Only time will tell.
Despite the formation of new political parties such as the Agang SA and EFF, it seems next year’s elections will remain a two horse race between the ANC and DA, just like in the past. During the first democratic elections in 1994, the race was between the ANC and the now defunct NP.
The DA has become so desperate for the black votes that it has fashioned itself as the ANC-lite. The official opposition party claims to have fought against the evil of apartheid, just like the ANC. But has it?
It is an open secret that the DA has never been part of the struggle against apartheid. So for it to parade Helen Zille, Patricia de Lille and Nosimo Balindlela as struggle heroes is disingenuous to say the least.
Another DA strategy is to push black faces to the fore in their election campaign in order to win black votes. The election of the young and inexperienced Mmusi Maimane over the well experienced Jack Bloom as the Gauteng premier candidate is a classic example.
I have no doubt in my mind that the young DA caucus leader in parliament, Lindiwe Mazibuko, is brilliant and capable. However, there is no denying that she was pushed by the party leader to be the caucus leader. How is this different from rent a darkie to win black votes?
There are murmurs that Mazibuko is not doing well as the caucus leader in parliament. If true, this doesn’t come as a surprise. The poor woman was pushed and rushed into a position she was not ready for. This is the same challenge Maimane will face.
In addition, the DA has also embraced some of the ANC policies, particularly those that seek to address the past imbalances. The official opposition has made it public that it supports the BEE policy and claims it can implement it better than the governing party, should it be elected to power.
According to research, the DA is growing steadily and making inroads in black areas. So why is it acting so desperate? The official opposition party is also working hard to rid itself of the perception that it serves the interest of the minority whites.
There is nothing wrong with the DA wanting to win the black votes.
But the official opposition shouldn’t lie and distort history in order to get the votes of the majority of people of this country.
The distortion and lies will make black voters hate and resent it.
* Letter published unedited — Ed.
