The slight, fine featured Seham Areff has caused quite a stir. Niece to the controversial Shaik brothers, among President Jacob Zuma’s most long-standing supporters, Areff has stepped out of the family mould and crossed over to the opposition. The 19-year politics and legal studies student, from the University of Kwa-Zulu-Natal, spoke to the Mail & Guardian on the sidelines of the Democratic Alliance congress in Cape Town this weekend.
M&G: What attracted you to the DA?
Seham Areff: What is most important to me is ideology. I am liberal; I buy into their liberal stance on issues, particularly the idea of an open opportunity society for all. I have always been politically conscious, and during the elections last year I researched all the manifestos. But I could not vote because my birthday was one day after the elections, the 23rd of April. I was particularly upset about that.
M&G: What has the reaction of your family been to your choice of DA, particularly that of your famous uncles the Shaiks?
SA: They have been fine about it. They are happy with me making my own decisions, we debate issues and they understand while you are an ANC stalwart, I might not be.
M&G: Is your side of the family disillusioned with the ANC?
SA: No, the older members of my family are very pro-ANC; I am the only vocal DA person. The younger members of my family are pretty silent on the matter, because they are less interested in political issues. But I always tell them you can’t complain unless you vote.
M&G: Are you lobbying any of your family to vote DA?
SA: No I don’t lobby them. They are steeped in the struggle and the ideas of the old ANC, and there is something romantic about that. I don’t want to take that away from them and they in turn don’t lobby me.
M&G: What do you want to achieve in the DA?
SA: I want to help change South Africa and help it become a better country. I want people to see the DA as a legitimate alternative of hope and a place that people can find a [political] home because I have found a home in the DA … I think it’s important that people who are politically aware know the facts.
M&G: And by this do you mean they understand the parties, their visions and their manifestos?
SA: Yes. Voter loyalty is a huge problem in this country. Votes should be based on who did their job, who didn’t, what worked, what didn’t. If we did that we would have an even better country.