Jaspreet Kindra and Marianne Merten
The alliance between former enemies the New National Party and the Democratic Party has left die-hard democrats to the north of Johannesburg ”devastated” and rightwingers in Ventersdorp ”speechless”, according to a Mail & Guardian snap poll.
In the Cape, opponents of the merger were more pithy in their responses, accusing the parties of polarising black and white South Africans. ”Hulle is vol kak,” observed one resident of Mitchells Plain.
The left within the African National Congress alliance gave one of the more interesting reactions from political parties.
They said the NNP was ”relatively more progressive than the DP”.
South African Communist Party politburo member and ANC MP Yunis Currim said: ”In part this is a reflection of [the NNP’s] coloured working-class base and a more sophisticated notion of the role of an opposition party.
”This will now be eclipsed by the DP’s individualism and market-orientation. The effect of the merger is a re- racialisation of South African politics and a further marginalisation of the coloured working class.”
However, most South Africans polled this week gave the merger the thumbs-up, believing it was all for a good cause – taking on the ANC juggernaut.
Some of the more notable comments were:
”They want to keep the Western Cape. It’s the only province where they are in power.” – A young black man who did not want to be identified
”You don’t compromise your principles.” – Disgusted James Pitman who, while buying bread, disclosed that his father had once been a DP MP
”I personally think it is a sad day for the DP to align itself with the historical destroyers of our country.” – Anastasia Vatalidis
”I don’t understand them – first they gave the country away and now they are trying to get it back. Who asked them to give the country away in the first place? What is the logic? There are too many of them anyway – what will this new party do!” – A rightwinger from Ventersdorp who wished to remain anonymous
”It [the DP] was already being painted as a villain by the ANC for being so critical – this doesn’t help.” – Johannesburg North resident and DP supporter Cobi Wolmarans
”The merger was long overdue. It was like two heads of departments saying the same story.” -An elderly Afrikaans couple whose views were typical of most NNP supporters
”The women prefer Tony Leon anyway – he is much better looking than Marthinus [van Schalkwyk].” – A farmer living outside Venterdorp who formerly backed the NNP
”A1. We need opposition in this country. At last it seems that they are coming together against the current regime.” – Jacques Steyl of Cape Town
”They most probably are looking for the most votes seeing they can’t do it alone.” – Mervyn Jacobs from Grassy Park on the Cape Flats