/ 12 May 2015

Mmusi Maimane: Ten things he should keep in mind

Mmusi Maimane addresses the Western Cape provincial congress.
'You see, for some, when they are caught out undermining clean governance for the people, and zero tolerance for corruption, they move towards racial victimhood,' Mmusi Maimane said. (David Harrison/M&G)

The DA’s new leader Mmusi Maimane has his work cut out for him. 

Over and above Maimane’s personal to do list, which includes visiting all the provinces and meeting with their leaders and making sure the DA has the capital to contest local government elections next year, the Mail & Guardian‘s political reporters, Thulani Gqirana and Qaanitah Hunter have some advice for the official opposition’s new chief.

Here are their top 10 recommendations:

 1. Keep it fresh:

Grow the youth wing, so that the party’s congresses are not packed with hundreds of elderly men and women who can’t dance to save their lives.

2. Get a theme song:

 Change the party’s playlist. Vulindlela was Helen’s, and Way’tyukutya just doesn’t shout ‘Political party’. Also, that was kinda the ANC’s election tune. It belongs in 2014. 

3. Local is lekker:

Grow the party’s presence in the rural areas, which have so far been dominated by the ANC. Mentioning your mother’s Cofimvaba roots during your acceptance speech was a good start.

4. All for one and one for all:

Launch the new values charter, which was adopted at congress and use every opportunity to reiterate that it is not about excluding gay families.

   5. Get on the ground:

Visit all provinces, without Mama Helen Zille, to cement your new leadership status.

6. Keep it real:

Stay away from botox. That is one thing about Zille’s legacy you should not emulate.  

7. Use your own words:

Stop plagiarising Barack Obama’s catch phrases. 

8. Dream your own dreams:

It doesn’t matter how many times you repeat Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech. It will never be yours.

9. Keep your swag on fleek:

Keep your suit tailor. Those skinny pants tuxes and well fitted jackets can’t hurt and presentation is everything.

  10. Opt for one left foot instead of two:

Learn how to dance. If you can’t pantsula how could he ever run the country?