DA leader on how coalition governments can work – and why ANC is paying for ‘spinelessness’ on Zuma

Emboldened by an enlarged black voter nod and attaining steady support in South Africa’s watershed 2024 elections, Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen was bullish yesterday at the Electoral Commission of SA’s (IEC) results operations centre.

And he was taking the fight back to the “prophets of doom” for predicting his party’s losses in the polls.

DA firmly in 2nd place

By late afternoon, national voter indications put the DA firmly in place as the second-largest party in South Africa, trailing closer to the ANC in Gauteng, which is set to be governed by a coalition.

On the gains made by the Jacob Zuma-led uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, Steenhuisen said: “Zuma is a very popular individual and the ANC’s inability to hold him to account has set their own hangman’s noose for themselves.

“Had Mr Zuma been where he belonged, which is in jail, for the 184 charges of corruption, fraud and racketeering that Cyril Ramaphosa and his party protected him from for the past 15 years, he would not be leading a political party today.

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“He would be incarcerated in a correctional services facility. I have no sympathy for Ramaphosa and his party.”

He added: “It is the spinelessness in dealing with Zuma – sins of omission and commission – that has led him to be a political force that can wipe them out in places like KwaZulu-Natal.”

In his message to investors, Steenhuisen said: “The DA as the centre party – believing in the rule of law and a social market economy that treats business as partners in the growth agenda – can take comfort in the fact that there will be a responsible party to prevent South Africa sliding into radicalism. We don’t want to see a Marxist-style government as we have seen in Zimbabwe.”

Coalition government

On coalitions, Steenhuisen said the DA was awaiting final results to “make the first port of call with the Multi-Party Charter to see whether we can expand the charter to incorporate other parties”.

“We want to prevent a doomsday coalition of the ANC and the Economic Freedom Fighters – by taking the right options. The outcome thus far shows how accountability takes place in a democracy to break the ANC’s majority.

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“What has happened has opened a whole new universe for South Africa, not an ANC South Africa, but more voices to be listened to, to determine the future direction of the country.

“Analysts make the mistake of only looking at the workings of coalitions in South Africa – only through the lens of Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni, when 35 other coalitions have evolved in the country with different players.

“There are clean and accountable governments in Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal, Saldanha Bay in the Western Cape and Midvaal in Gauteng.

‘Coalitions can work’

“Coalitions can work all over the world. Germany has had one of the world’s most prosperous economies through a coalition government, which requires maturity.

“There are choppy waters ahead for SA and the DA is going to be a major player as the second-largest party. We have to navigate these waters and determine the direction the country needs to travel.

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“I want to be part of the governing coalition. The point about politics is being in government. The pathway to government in the Western Cape was initially through coalitions.”