Zille needs some house-training

The Blues are Back in Town… that much is clear from the developments over the past few days as the Democratic Alliance (DA) has, in the words of its leader, John Steenhuisen, put away the party T-shirts to knuckle down and work with the ANC.

But, do we detect signs that the head of the brains trust in the DA, that wily veteran politician Helen Zille, is back in the thick of politics again?

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Certainly, the DA’s federal chair played a major role in getting the whole government of national unity (GNU) concept off the ground.

She was the one who signed the formal agreement on behalf of the DA, putting her signature next to that of ANC secretarygeneral Fikile Mbalula.

And, true to Zille form, it wasn’t long before she was lecturing Mbalula in public for his supposed lack of understanding of how the formal agreement worked.

She also popped up all over the place in interviews, sometimes voicing opinions which were not exactly in line with what Steenhuisen and others were saying.

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Make no mistake, Zille is one of the smartest political brains in this country and has the ability to demolish all comers in debate. Yet, she is abrasive.

And we wonder whether that abrasiveness is good for peace and harmony within the GNU. After all, it was a wise sage who once said: “You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.”

The problem is that Zille has put the backs up of so many people, friend and foe – especially recently in parroting American right-wing tropes about “critical race theory” – that even if she says something sensible to contribute to genuine nation-building, many will ignore her and her message.

She’s going to be a big player in the GNU’s house. Perhaps, the DA leadership around her should get her properly house-trained.