Political analysts are talking nonsense about DA resignations

Every day there is some new “political analyst” talking nonsense about Democratic Alliance (DA) resignations.

We are told the DA is imploding, at the end of the road, and irreparably divided along racial lines. Hype.

Any analysis not based on the report of the Ryan Coetzee review panel commissioned by former leader Mmusi Maimane is flawed. Few commentators have read it.

First was Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba. The report found that forming governments with Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) support in Johannesburg and Tshwane was a mistake. It said these DA-led governments were unable to prosecute a DA agenda because they were beholden to the EFF.

In addition, relying on EFF support is “corrosive of the DA’s brand”. Because of the EFF, the DA is not in control of its own destiny in Joburg. Leadership changes were mooted.

Mashaba did not like this. He has repeatedly praised the EFF, comparing his own councillors unfavourably to those in red berets.

The second resignation was Maimane’s, in line with a panel recommendation, “that those ultimately responsible for the leadership and management of the party – the leader, chairperson of federal council and chief executive” should resign.

By the time the report was tabled, Maimane was the only one of these who had not resigned. James Selfe relinquished the federal council chair and Paul Boughey quit as chief executive.

The third resignation was Athol Trollip, who was federal chair (as distinct from chair of federal council). The report recommended that the position of federal chair be abolished, which would have left Trollip without that job anyway.

Departures were messy but “supporters … need to see that the party understands it has performed sub-optimally, accepts responsibility and is prepared to change”.

In this sense, newly elected federal council chair Helen Zille is correct to say Maimane’s resignation is not the cause of a crisis in the DA. It is the consequence.

There was no “putsch”. Internal elections were held according to party rules. Departures were triggered by recommendations from a study. That’s accountability, not apocalypse.

The deeper questions are about race. To dial-a-quote pundits, the DA has been reclaimed by old-guard whites. Actually less than 20% of the federal executive is white. The DA remains the most diverse political party of any significance in SA. It is the only party honestly trying to be inclusive. For the race-baiting EFF or ANC to point fingers is absurd.

The DA remains committed to redress but will have to fine-tune what that means. The Coetzee report recommends, “a compelling redress policy programme grounded in DA values”. It says redress should be directed “at people who currently suffer disadvantage as a consequence of past discrimination and does not use race as a proxy for disadvantage”.

In my view, the word proxy has for years obfuscated the debate, contributing to what new parliamentary leader John Steenhuisen calls “blue wobbly jelly” around policy.

A pox on proxy.

The vast majority of disadvantaged people in SA are black. Let’s deal with that.

Martin Williams, DA councillor and former editor of The Citizen.

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