South Africa’s official opposition Democratic Alliance would continue to stand as an independent party even if the ruling African National Congress split, says leader Tony Leon.
In his regular internet column, SA Today, on Friday, the DA leader said in the event of a split, the DA would fight to ensure that any new government reversed the current government’s ”denialist approach to HIV/Aids, its alliance with [Zimbabwe President] Robert Mugabe and its abuse of racial transformation”.
”The DA would continue to stand as an independent party, upholding the values of individual rights, a balanced market economy, transparency, loyalty to the Constitution, non-racialism and diversity.”
While it may be fondly presented that President Thabo Mbeki’s fight with former deputy president Jacob Zuma ”is all about the new African National Congress versus the old ANC, the reality is far more complex”.
”The Zuma-ites, whatever their other manifold and glaring deficiencies, stand far more in the tradition of open democratic debate and discourse (the very fuel needed to motor our constitutional democracy in the right direction) than the Mbeki-ites do.”
Leon said further: ”While Zuma is looking increasingly isolated after statements this week by the ANC national executive committee and Cosatu [the Congress of South African Trade Unions], Mbeki is failing to reassure South Africa that the ruling party, in its current form, is not mortally wounded.
”Over time, and perhaps sooner than any of us imagine, the no-questions-asked, struggle-solidarity, semi-authoritarian style of government will collide with South Africa’s prospects of becoming a globally competitive winning nation, at peace with the world and itself — and the result will be far from certain.” — I-Net Bridge