Former DA KZN leader Zwakele Mncwango with newly elected leader Francois Rodgers. Picture: Doctor Ngcobo/African News Agency(ANA)
Durban - WITH the KwaZulu-Natal DA elective congress done and dusted at the weekend, political analysts have criticised the lack of diversity in its elected provincial leaders.
The new provincial leader is Francois Rodgers. He took over from Zwakele Mncwango, who announced earlier this year that he would not be vying for the position. Chris Pappas was elected deputy leader, and Dean Macpherson was elected as chairperson of the party in the province.
Political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe said: “The first thing that needs to be understood is that the DA has not put transformation at the top of its agenda. The party had a history of patriarchy and racial prejudice.”
He said the DA was anti-transformational when compared to the ANC and other political parties who placed transformation at the centre of their functioning.
Seepe also noted that the lack of transformation would not have a significant impact on the party's chances at the local government elections expected to be held later this year.
“The reason for this was because when people voted they were interested in people who could solve their problems. I know some people who were ANC members who voted for the DA because they did not trust their own colleagues to do the job properly.
“Another example was that of Herman Mashaba and the impact he had in Johannesburg, even though he was a political novice,” Seepe said.
Political analyst Professor Boitumelo Senokoane said it had to be acknowledged that the DA was a “white party”. He said when Mmusi Maimane and Lindiwe Mazibuko were still part of the DA they had tried to change it.
Senokoane said Maimane tried to change the DA’s problems through black methodologies and improve the party. He said Maimane tried to appeal to black people in townships and this came at the cost of white voters who migrated to the Freedom Front Plus.
He said the current strategy was to woo white voters back and hope that black voters would stay with the party.
“I would be keen to know how traditional DA supporters would react to the rise of Mashaba’s party Action SA when the local government elections happen later on in the year.”
mphathi.nxumalo@inl.co.za
Daily News
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