Never again. They say ‘never say neverâ€, but starting a political party is no joke. It takes years off your life and demands so much of yourself.
I was with the Pan Africanist Congress for most of my political career, and attempted to do my part for all in South Africa. But I realised that I had to call it a day with them. I had searched my soul and could no longer be part of something that was not truly inclusive — and had, in fact, become quite the opposite.
Several other parties approached me to join them. They offered the equivalent of gold, frankincense and myrrh in titles and position. Yet my conscience would not allow me to ‘sell outâ€. I recognised that I had great support from my family, friends and the public, who had seen me campaign over the years — but this was not enough.
So I went about the process like a business about to launch a brand in a new market. Once I had the vision for an all-inclusive, non-racially motivated party, I had to look at the values we wished to share. The first point of action had to be market research. What did the population think of me? Did they see me as a world states person that could represent their needs? Did they see me as an independent who was not a sell-out?
The results were favourable and gave me the courage to take the leap. An omnibus survey of 2 300 people found that I was one of the top 10 personalities in South Africa. (I must confess it gave me a bit of a warm feeling.) It also found I had the most diverse ethnic support of any politician in South Africa. I could truly transcend race! This meant more than anything to me.
The research also showed that the electorate identified with the notion of ‘independence†and saw this as a breath of fresh air.
Based on the outcome of the survey, we announced the birth of the Independent Democrats (ID) on March 26 2003. A friend generously offered office space at his publishing business. For 48 hours his telephone lines were jammed and he was forced to install two additional lines to cope with the influx of calls. This level of attention continued for two weeks. Another supporter phoned and offered office space for a further six months at no cost to the party.
Then there began the arduous task of funding and policy development. In the course of this exercise, we spoke to hundreds, even thousands, of people. We knew that support-base funding and a good policy set were going to be the most critical pillars upon which the success of the ID would rest.
The official launch of the ID took place on June 21 2003. The tasks that followed were the elections of leaders, going out and building structures and making preparations for the 2004 elections. Setting up the administration side of things proved to be challenging. I always believed that effective administration is the lifeblood of any organisation.
Today we stand at 98 000 members and 21 offices nationally. All this, together with contesting a national election and attaining a 2% result, was achieved in the short space of two and a half years. For this, I must thank the thousands of ID supporters and members who have stayed loyal to the ID. I could not possibly have done it alone. Lots of cynics said it was impossible to start a new party and participate in a national election all in one year.
It was possible, but in the process, we all learnt a few hard lessons. Party structures, branches, regions and provinces are vital to success in elections. We travelled around South Africa twice in one year, building structures and identifying people who could come on board. Resources, especially human, are vital. Fund-raising events such as golf days, dinners and begging from business are very time consuming
Also, many opportunists flocked to the party and in the process caused damage. Convincing the electorate that you are different from the rest is not easy. You have to find creative ways to stretch your advertising and marketing budget. You must connect with the grassroots to illustrate that you care.
We are determined to prove that the ID will remain fearlessly independent and involved in building and transforming South Africa. The ID is the only party that has taken on both the African National Congress and the Democratic Alliance in their heartlands in several by-elections — and came second until we won our first by-election last week in the North West.
Some people are calling me a dictator, which I am not. I am only over-protective of the gains that the ID has made and will not allow anybody to mess it up.
Patricia de Lille is the leader of the Independent Democrats