LETTER: A unique opportunity to forge an opposition

The shambolic state of the ANC — morally, financially, ideologically bankrupt and riddled with dubious, weak-kneed leadership — should be providing pro-constitutional democracy and anti-authoritarianism political parties and organisations such as the DA, ActionSA, the FF+, One SA Movement and a few others with a unique opportunity to win enough electoral support together to unseat the government and reverse our country’s rapid trajectory towards yet another African basket case.

However, these parties and organisations need to provide the electorate with a concentrated political format that shows unambiguously it has the potential to achieve real political power rather than present, as they do, a fragmented mishmash of political choices, with confusing beehive-like comings and goings of prominent individuals from one political establishment to another.

The problem of uniting political groups that have the potential to form an alternative government lies not so much in conflicting or contrasting values, principles and policies — more often than not these are cosmetic, not fundamental — but more in the obsession of politicians to preserve their personal status and position within the establishment to which they belong. It becomes a contest of personalities rather than the creation of a powerful political force.

And so our opposition parties remain fragmented, making a noise but not much difference, and remain impotent. Those politically ambitious and self-important politicians that impede the creation of a cohesive alternative political force would do well to heed the words of former US congresswoman Liz Cheney — “I love my party, but I love my country more” — and make personal sacrifices for the sake of real political change and the good of the nation.

David Gant
Kenilworth

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