Drew Forrest’s article, ”A blow to opposition politics”, (November 2) is a disgraceful piece of journalism.
Forrest should not have disregarded the first rule of good journalism: get both sides of the story. His piece relies almost exclusively on ”sources” close to Marthinus Van Schalkwyk. Consequently it just regurgitates Van Schalkwyk’s disingenuous take on events.
To suggest, as Forrest does, that Van Schalkwyk’s departure from the Democratic Alliance is Tony Leon’s fault is a bit like blaming the girl in the short skirt for getting raped. Sure, Leon doesn’t suffer fools gladly. But where lies the real arrogance in this drama? Implicit in Van Schalkwyk’s breathtaking flip-flop is an unequivocal ”up yours” to the millions who voted DA in December last year. The soggy left might not like Leon’s combative style, but his principles (a rare thing in our current politics) would never allow him to subject the voters to such monumental egotism. Van Schalkwyk’s is arrogance writ large.
Most of the rest of Forrest’s article does not merit response. But his contention that Leon should have led the Democratic Party into a coalition with the African National Congress after the 1999 election requires rebuttal.
I think Forrest would agree that South Africa needs a strong opposition. Clearly, he believes such opposition could flourish while in coalition with the ANC. This perspective, however, is based on wishful thinking, not strategic thinking. Opposition voters do not want their party of choice in coalition with the ANC. And black voters disillusioned with the ANC do not want to vote for a small, acquiescent non-alternative to the party they wish to desert.
Forrest is contemptuous of Leon’s political judgement. But he makes the greatest mistake of all: he projects himself on to the electorate and elaborates from there. One less generous than I might describe this as arrogance, but I am sure he does not mean it that way.
To grow, the opposition must remain independent of the ANC. To subvert successfully the ANC’s desire for hegemony over the truth and provide a coherent alternative to its failing agenda, the opposition must stand alone.
Forrest asks whether Leon ”and his inner circle” have a ”sufficiently reliable sense of their country” to take opposition politics forward. I rather admire his delicious arrogance: having never run anything more complex than a bath, Forrest glibly patronises Leon. But never mind. We are open to new perspectives. Is Forrest able to make more sense of his sense of our country? Perhaps he should get new ”sources” of inspiration. Ryan Coetzee, office of the leader: DA, Cape Town