DA concerned more about power and survival than principles, say experts

The apparent instruction by DA chief whip Natasha Mazzone to former DA MP Phumzile van Damme to retreat from
taking on Facebook was a normal political strategy of prioritising power and survival over anything else, said political analysts.

A seemingly outraged Van Damme took to Twitter on Wednesday to break her silence on the reasons for her resignation from the party.

She said this was in response to DA leader John Steenhuisen “lying” about why she had left the party.

Van Damme said she quit the DA after Mazzone instructed her to lay off Facebook, which Van Damme had called to answer to parliament on their steps to counter misinformation ahead of the upcoming elections.

Instead of holding the multibillion-dollar company accountable, Mazzone seemed to, instead, not tread on the social media giant as they were the party’s “biggest social media apparatus”.

While Van Damme said she was unwilling to compromise her values, political analyst Andre Duvenhage said high principles were not a main factor in the political environment and strategy.

“As a party strategist, you would not be politically intelligent if you are not going to use all the social media you can, and we know about the influence of Facebook.”

“That is the way of politics. I don’t see high principles in the political environment and strategy. It is more about power and survival than anything else,” said Duvenhage.

But the DA’s stance on stepping back from Facebook would likely not have an impact on votes as such decisions did not appeal to the average poor South African, political analyst Professor Barry Hanyane said.

“Supporters of the DA are affluent members of society. These are people who see themselves as the natural opposition to the ANC and rightly so.

“This is expensive politics. A poor person from the township doesn’t care about that. They care about if their political representatives are not corrupt, if they will provide housing, clean water, infrastructure and jobs.”

“It is amazing that a social media platform becomes the bedrock of differing beliefs and opinions and perceptions among members of the DA,” he said.

Duvenhage said those concerned about Facebook’s privacy policy would likely not fit the profile of a DA supporter.

“If you look at a standard profile, it is more liberal, open-minded type of people. The conspiracy theory concepts are not strongly entrenched in that environment.”

“In a week’s time, we are not going to talk about this anymore. It will be outweighed by more serious things.”

– rorisangk@citizen.co.za