Policy boss’s resignation leaves DA in disarray – analysts

The resignation of Democratic Alliance (DA) head of policy Gwen Ngwenya is a disaster for the party and clearly shows that it is divided, with one for the black members and another for the white members, who control the party as a think tank, according to political analysts.

Political analyst Dr Somadoda Fikeni said the resignation revealed pressures over direction and control of the DA, as it affected black leaders such as Ngwenya and others.

“The more this affects the black leaders the more the narrative gets stronger that the party is controlled by certain white leaders and that the albatross around its neck will not be shaken,” Fikeni said.

Another analyst Ralph Mathekga said this could not have come at a worse time for the DA, as it was on the eve of a crucial election when it was supposed to show a united front to voters.

“It’s a disaster for the DA. How do they go to the voters and convince them to accept their manifesto when they could not agree on policy formulation as the party leaders?” Mathekga said.

Ngwenya tendered her resignation in a four-page letter to DA leader Mmusi Maimane in which she complained about her unit being left in limbo, without its mandate approved by top structures such as the party’s national management committee (NMC), federal executive, or federal council.

Ngwenya said her policy unit operated without a budget, was understaffed and had inexperienced policy researchers.

She made it clear the party’s federal head office dominated the policy-making process while she, as head of policy, was ignored.

Fikeni said what happened to Ngwenya clearly suggested there was a group of invisible and influential leaders who actually controlled the party. Those leaders used their power to squeeze out promising black leaders.

The sentiment was echoed by Mathekga, who said there was clearly someone else who was actually dominating policy-making in the DA other than Ngwenya.

“There are two DAs – one in the public eye and one that works behind the scenes to control things,” Mathekga said.

According to Ngwenya, the policies that her unit formulated were always dismissed as “inconsistent with the party” by the NMC and were called “Gwen’s policies”. She said in the DA, there were “untouchable policy areas”.

Ngwenya’s letter indicated that the DA had no long-term policy blueprint, but worked on an ad hoc basis.

“The party spends more on billboards and other marketing than it does on developing a long-lasting, comprehensive policy blueprint for the country,” Ngwenya said.

– ericn@citizen.co.za

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