analysis
Evidence wa ka Ngobeni
In South Africa any political party that seeks to challenge the African National Congress’s power base needs to attract sizeable numbers of black voters.
The political turmoil within the Democratic Alliance in the past few weeks has dealt a heavy blow to the Democratic Party’s aspirations for power.
The withdrawal of the New National Party from the DA saw the DP losing a significant number of coloured politicians. Joe Seremane is still in the party, but it is difficult to recall the names of other heavyweight blacks in the DP/DA.
Some believe that the DP has the ability to pull black support. But they agree that the current DP formation cannot achieve that. They argue that with some sort of realignment, which may include blackening the leadership of the DP, the party could entice the black majority.
But it is my view that no amount of adjustment within the DP can help it sway a sizeable number of black voters. There are many factors that make one draw this conclusion.
For instance, it is apparent that the DP cannot strike the right note on issues directly affecting the black majority like black economic empowerment. The liberal democrats are seen as being unable to identify with issues of affirmative action and black economic empowerment.
Many black people believe, and may continue to believe for decades , that the DP is not only hard-hearted to their problems but is also not part of their historical struggles.
An old black woman once told me: ”Even if the ANC government does not deliver services we need, I will never vote for white people. It is better I do not vote at all than to vote for the whites, who for years made us suffer.”
During the 1999 general election President Thabo Mbeki struck a chord when he questioned the DP/DA’s credentials. Mbeki told communities to ask DP leaders: ”Where was the DP during the apartheid days?” The DP, Mbeki said, was not ”in the black communities when we fought with the apartheid regime”.
The black community continues to believe that when the DP opposes the ANC government it is doing so on behalf of the white minority.
Before the 1999 general election Tony Leon sought to change that perception when he embarked on tours to black townships like Soweto. But the DA/DP’s election results in black areas showed that it would take more than periodic visits to attract voters.
Black voters need to feel comfortable with party representatives. Issues of skin colour and political credentials are critical.
The DP’s ”fight back” theme of its 1999 election campaign was seen by blacks as an attack on democracy.
Can the DP leadership of the DA alter its perspective and become a force to be reckoned with? Achieving this will be remarkably difficult, if not impossible, in a country where the fundamental patterns of racial privilege show no signs of disappearing.