What happened to DA?

Recent developments concerning South Africa’s second biggest political party have astounded the public.

If we compare the election results of 2014 and 2019 there was indeed a marginal loss of voters support for the Democratic Alliance, respectively from 22.23 % to 20.77 %, a drop that should not have been the reason for such disarray within the official opposition.

The first crack on the wall was the departure of Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille, who had been brought into the DA  by theWestern Cape Premier , Helen Zille.

This was undoubtedly a big loss for the DA, taking into consideration the sizable franchise of followers that she represents in the Western Cape.

Maimane, Trollip, Zille and Patricia de Lille , divergent destinations

The motive behind of the dispute between De Lille and DA top brass and what were the real motives behind the decision to oust the political firebrand from the party in the Cape, was at the time unclear, but now it seems evident that there is a huge incompatibility of the two visions for the party orientation in the future.

The resignations of the top leaders, Mmusi Maimane, Athol Trollip and Herman Mashaba, from senior positions in the Democratic Alliance, generated an unfortunate exchange of racism allegations that will further breed a schism that affects the confidence of the party numerous followers.

The country needs both a stable government and a credible opposition to make the democracy stronger.

The main reason for DA  woes does not lie in the party itself but in the advent of the “new “ ANC with Cyril Ramaphosa at the helm : a fact that deprived the opposition of political space to argue for better alternatives of governance.

The current ANC government , led by Cyril Ramaphosa , is trying to gain international and internal trust to pursue the path of economic recovery.

The DA should have done its best to tend the domestic wounds and stop divisionism to avoid, in not so distant future , the risk of losing the status of the official opposition.

According to political analysts , any effort to create a new party, by a splitting DA faction, has minimal chances of success and may end up joining multiple smaller parties that have spawned from similar disputes.

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