Howard Barrell and Barry Streek
Will the Democratic Alliance (DA) make inroads into the black community?
We might not. There is a degree of risk involved in this or any other such arrangement.
There always is. It is a certainty that we were putting ourselves into a political glass ceiling by continuing this war between the opposition parties and if could close down that front, we could then advance the main front of South African politics.
It won’t necessarily succeed and it won’t happen overnight.
How do you intend increasing your presence in the townships?
We will try and be a full service operation. I do not believe you service the townships at the exclusion of the suburbs.
You obviously have to represent the voters who sent you here. But if you just do that, it is a very self-limiting exercise.
There has been some tension in your party over the merger. Are you worried about that?
Obviously, the first prize is that everyone is happy. There is quite a bit of sentiment involved but our name is intact, and the National name has disappeared.
We’re the leader. We have given them a place of honour and I think that is appropriate. The [New] National Party was going to live until 2004 whatever we did. If they had lost every single seat, in the municipal elections, there will still be 27 MPs, R4-million from the state every year, and 25 provincial MPs in the country.
How do you respond to the view that the DA is going to harm race relations?
I profoundly disagree with it. The African National Congress would actually like a house-trained opposition that causes no fuss. We are not co-optable. The biggest danger is no effective opposition.
Obviously, the first prize is to get an opposition that is broadly representative.
Will relations with the ANC change in any way?
I would very much hope so. I detect they would like to see a bit of glasnost. They thought we would go away or be marginalised if they ignored us or excoriated us.
Could Bantu Holomisa reconsider his decision to fight the local government elections on his own – as opposed to the DA?
I don’t know the answer to that. I have had good relations with him. He suggested we have a meeting after the municipal elections. That’s fine. If he wants to have one before that, we can also do that.
Did the new municipal electoral system favour the formation of alliances?
It certainly did. The other thing was the terms. Frankly, by getting them to agree to the concept of relative strength, I lose absolutely nothing, we only gain.
I said I wanted control of the voting shares in this thing. Not 100% but control and we have got control.