CALL FOR EARLY ELECTION
NATASHA MARRIAN: Desperate DA undoes a year’s teamwork
‘Instead of nurturing and building on the relationships it forged in 2016, the DA is quickly alienating its partners’
The DA move to dissolve Parliament and force an early election smacks of desperation. It has no chance of succeeding, but for the party, it also exposes its worst fears heading into the 2019 election. It is a tactical miscalculation after a motion of no confidence that ended in President Jacob Zuma keeping his position, but exposing the cracks in the ANC. The move by the opposition to put up a united front alongside civil society, business, labour, ANC veterans and current leaders opened up the possibility of a different kind of politics — one in which the interests of South Africans are set above petty party politics. This contrasted starkly with the position of the ANC, which was exposed for choosing Zuma and its own survival over the country and its citizens.Then came Mmusi Maimane’s announcement that it was time for Parliament to dissolve and for an early election to be called. This, in effect, unravelled opposition party efforts to get rid of Zuma, whether the motive was altrui...
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