What Mmusi’s exit means for black liberalism and opposition politics
Mmusi Maimane’s resignation was, on his own terms, inevitable: he failed, for whatever reason, to grow the DA. But his departure spotlights afresh the party’s identity crisis as a liberal democratic party that thinks it can fix SA for all its people, rich and poor alike
31 October 2019 - 05:00
Helen Zille is resplendent in red, on a blue DA podium. She puts on her reading glasses and announces the new leader of SA’s official opposition party: "Mmusi Maaai-mane," she declaims, her voice shrill as she is drowned out by roars of approval from the party faithful.
This is followed by deafening chants of "Mmusi, Mmusi, Mmusi" as 1,200 delegates at the DA’s 2015 federal congress in Port Elizabeth usher in the party’s first black leader.
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