There’s a sense of desperation in DA’s premiership plan

The news that Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane is being considered for deployment to the Western Cape as premier is another indication the party is wandering around in a political, ideological and personality wilderness.

Party members were shocked by the possibility of Maimane replacing Helen Zille – not so much because of the change itself, but because the suggestion came out of the blue. It was the last thing many people – from DA supporters to political analysts – expected.

If there is a possibility of Maimane being announced as a premier candidate – and the party is to pronounce on this today – there must clearly be a sense of desperation in the leadership that the DA could lose the Western Cape, the jewel in its crown, to the ANC in next year’s polls.

That is not something which has even been on the radar of the DA – at least in public – so there must be the prospect of a real fight in the province.

And that is surprising, given the inept nature of the ANC’s opposition politics there.

This latest move indicates that the Patricia de Lille debacle, in which the Cape Town mayor fought the party tooth and nail over mismanagement allegations against her and then stepped aside with this still not proven, has damaged the party more than it cares to admit, particularly among its loyal core of coloured voters.

In addition, the tweet-first-think-later manner of Zille has hurt the party because many actual and potential voters believe, rightly or wrongly, she is “untransformed”.

So, now what?

If Maimane gets the Western Cape nomination, does that mean the province is more important to the party than national issues?

Even more concerning for DA voters: who replaces Maimane as their leader?

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