Never mind SA, does the DA need rescuing?
When John Steenhuisen was re-elected leader of the DA in April 2023, he made his plans clear in his acceptance speech.
“South Africans now expect us to step up and become the leader of the alternative government. We are knocking at the door of the Union Buildings.”
And by all rights, considering South Africa’s current crises on various fronts, the DA should be knocking on the door of the Union Buildings this election.
But Steenhuisen may have regretted his remarks in recent months when the various polls showed not only was the ANC potentially losing support but support for the DA was also declining. This has also been reflected in several by-elections.
Previous national election results also tell a story. In 2019, the DA received 20.77% of the vote, which was a drop from the 22.23% it got in 2014. In 2009, the party got 16%.
For the 2024 elections, the DA’s internal polling has consistently put the party at around the mid-20% mark nationally, which contradicts external polls.
But it became clear anxiety had crept in at the DA headquarters when Steenhuisen started lambasting smaller parties for campaigning in the Western Cape recently.
As one analyst pointed out, it was not liberal behaviour for a liberal party.
Recent polls, however, might give us a clue to Steenhuisen’s outburst. The DA is in danger of losing its majority in the Western Cape. This is a province where it has a clear track record of good governance.
When the fires had cooled over Steenhuisen’s remarks, the DA decided to light another one, launching its controversial flag burning ad, that even had the Presidency up in arms.
While some have welcomed the ad, others questioned why the party decided to resort to fearmongering tactics.
In this week’s Friday Briefing, we consider if the DA, whose tagline is “Rescue SA”, itself needs to be rescued.
We have submissions from News24’s assistant editor of politics and opinion, Natasha Marrian, News24’s senior parliamentary reporter, Jason Felix, analyst Daniel Silke and News24’s in-depth writer, Muhammad Hussain.
We hope you enjoy the read.
Best,
Vanessa Banton
Opinions editor.
DA’s tight-rope walk in Western Cape’s election showdown
Over a decade ago, the DA pulled off a miraculous feat by pushing the ANC out of power in the Western Cape – the first party to do so in democratic South Africa. Now with less than three weeks before a watershed general election, the DA seems to be battling to keep its crown, writes Jason Felix.
