Helen Zille’s passion, patriotism and organisational strengths were the qualities that lifted the DA from a small opposition party (11% of the national vote) that was a thorn in the flesh of the ANC behemoth to serious contender status, wresting the Cape Town metro and then the Western Cape from the grip of the corruption-riddled ANC. Progressively, the DA began taking control of more municipalities and metros.
Seeing the writing on the wall some 12 years ago and knowing that it could not match the DA in terms of governance or accountability, the ANC launched a disinformation campaign against DA leaders, especially Zille. It was put out that the DA was a party “solely for the benefit of whites”, and when Mmusi Maimane took over as DA national leader the ANC claimed he was not in charge as Zille was his “madam”...
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