South Africa: Black leaders quitting main opposition

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) – A spate of resignations of black leaders in the South Africa’s main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), has brought back debate on racism and apartheid in the country. The leaders, who resigned, cited internal conflicts and failure of the party to take up pro-poor initiatives.

Soon after the resignation of the Mayor of Johannesburg Herman Mashaba, early this week, the party’s first black President Mmusi Maimane and its Federal Executive Athol Trollip have followed the suit.

Experts predict that the spate of resignations will affect health of the party, which was seen as an alternative to the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

For many years, the DA, was seen representing whites, black elite and the middle class. But for over past one decade, it tried hard to change its image, by drafting many black leaders. Four years ago, the party elected Maimane its first black party president. He held this position, until mid this week before resigning.

“The DA which was considered to be a possible alternative to the ANC, might lose support in the upcoming elections,’’ says Sheila Meintjes, who teaches political science at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.

Talking to Anadolu Agency, Meintjes said the DA was expecting to get majority of the black vote in the general elections, held in May, to elect the parliament and provincial legislatures. But its popular vote share declined from 22.23 % to 20.77 %.

The party also lost status of the official opposition in two provinces, leading reevaluation of performance of its 39-year-old, first black president.

The blacks and many other party cadres also got incensed at the party’s decision to bring back Helen Zille, as new chairperson of its Federal Council, the party’s highest decision-making body. Meintjes said, it was a wrong move to bring back a leader, who had praised colonialism in his tweets in 2017, evoking a widespread outrage.

‘‘The tweets on colonialism raised concern and damaged the party. So, Zille coming back is not helpful for the DA, which was seen as an alternative to the ruling ANC,’’ said the professor.

Johannesburg Mayor voiced strong exception to the election of Zille. "The election of Helen Zille, represents a victory for people in the DA, who stand opposed to my beliefs and value system, and I believe to those of most South Africans of all backgrounds," the Mayor said in his resignation letter.

Another commentator Sipho Seepe, however, said that the Mayor and the former president were seen diluting the liberal agenda of the DA by promoting blacks past few years that drive away their white supporters.

Asked if the DA will now lose the majority black vote now, he said: ‘‘The DA is not worried about numbers. It is about influence. Political Parties exist for having influence on passing policies.”

While many black politicians got positions in the party, commentators believe that they did not play role in major decisions and policies of the party. They claim that polices of the party are still shaped by those who control the economy.

“Majority of South Africa’s economy is still controlled by the white minority, even 25 years after the end of apartheid regime” they said.

Mayor Herman in his resignation speech also made it clear that he cannot reconcile with those, who believe that race is irrelevant in the discussion of inequality and poverty in South Africa in 2019.