The future of Western Cape Democratic Alliance leader Theuns Botha hangs in the balance after a bitter struggle over the mayoral candidate, Helen Zille.
Only a win for his party in Cape Town and other Western Cape mayoral races in March will save his political bacon. While the party is now focused on getting Zille’s campaign into top gear the signs of a bloody battle ahead remain.
Botha is widely known to have supported Zille’s opponent Lennit Max for mayor. It was one of a number of battles he has lost against her.
The provincial leadership is divided into two broad factions — a liberal faction from the old Democratic Party with some former National Party elements and a more conservative Christian faction with elements from both the old Labour Party and the National Party.
In almost every ward in Cape Town, where the nominations were contested, Botha’s conservative faction selected its supporters. But the liberal faction saw the bulk of its council candidates being uncontested as most reside in overwhelmingly strong DA wards. They included former deputy mayor Belinda Walker, caucus leader Bryan Watkins and former caucus leader Gisela Jespersen.
With squabbles now receding in the party as the elections lists are almost finalised, the focus will be on whether the DA can pull it off and win Cape Town. If it does not, Botha — as well as Zille — will be out in the political cold. Botha will have been defeated in an election for the second time — losing the Western Cape in 2004 and Cape Town in 2006.
Since taking his seat as official opposition leader in the Western Cape legislature in 2004, he has also been outshone by veteran liberal Robin Carlisle, an ordinary member, who has conducted a relentless and prominent media campaign.
Suggestions are already floating about that one of the core former NNP candidates will be brought in to replace Botha as provincial leader at the next provincial congress in April — a month after the local government election. Names being touted include Sakkie Pretorius, a former ranking National Party official, who was elected unopposed in the Cape northern suburbs to stand in his Parow ward.
Another possible candidate is Reverend Willem Doman, the party’s national local government spokesperson and one of the NP MPs to cross the floor to the DA in 2003.