Leading South Africa from identity-based to issue-driven politics is the only way to turn freedom into reality, Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Helen Zille said on Friday.
In her first weekly newsletter as DA leader, Zille dismissed suggestions that her party is not interested in compensating for past discrimination based on its attempts to lead the political debate from race to issues.
”Of course, this is untrue. Our approach focuses on opening access, developing skills, promoting opportunity for more people — not manipulating outcomes in favour of our political cronies.”
The ”dynamic team” headed by Zille is gearing for growth and for government, she said.
”This is truly a hinge phase in South Africa, with both the largest opposition formation and the ruling party engaged in leadership renewal.”
Swift growth of DA strength in new communities is vital, but equally crucial is not neglecting the party’s current support base.
”Our great challenge is to demonstrate that our interests are not mutually exclusive, and certainly not defined on the basis of ethnicity or race.”
South Africans still find it difficult to think of each other outside ”the paradigm of race” — a fact that applies to societies and almost all commentators everywhere.
”That illustrates the measure of the challenge we face in leading our country from identity-based to issue-driven politics.
”Indeed, this is the only way we will turn our concept of freedom from a fine-sounding phrase into a living, breathing reality.”
Zille said: ”We have to start by taking up the issues that matter to people, such as those in the streets of Phumelela in Free State to Khutsong in North West.”
Service delivery is a challenge in the context of rapid urbanisation but can only be met by appointing ”the right people in the right positions”.
”No amount of inflammatory race-based rhetoric will permanently disguise delivery failure. People increasingly want results.”
Zille said the African National Congress (ANC) has allowed an ”obsession with racial transformation to displace all other goals and priorities of the state”.
”’Black empowerment’ has become a mere fig leaf covering the real purpose of ‘transformation’ — the deployment of political friends and cronies into all key positions in pursuit of the ‘national democratic revolution’.”
The centralisation of power and inability to address issues of ”ordinary people” is the DA’s opportunity, she said.
”We must respond by offering credible, people-centred alternatives.”
Basic services are the start to the state’s role in seeking equal opportunities for all citizens.
A genuine transformation of education is critical.
The DA will also confront the HIV/Aids pandemic and strengthen security services and the criminal justice system.
”At the heart of the DA’s message to South Africans is that non-racialism — as enshrined in our Constitution — is the clarion-call of our future.”
The gathering of over a 1 000 delegates at the party’s federal congress last weekend will form ”the nucleus of a mighty movement, which will soon be competing for power with the ANC”. — Sapa