DANIEL SILKE: How the DA found itself between a rock and a hard place
'Former leaders need to step away and go out on a high. The dangers of sticking around under new and substantially different leadership are now laid bare'
The heavy-handed way in which the DA have handled Helen Zille’s tweet debacle has narrowed the choices open to the beleaguered Western Cape Premier and to its still maturing leader, Mmusi Maimane. For Mrs Zille, the botched announcement of an immediate suspension by Mr Maimane now makes it even more difficult for the party to give her a reprieve and allow her a stay-of-political-execution as she awaits the outcome of the party’s laborious disciplinary procedures. Should Zille be proven right in terms of her defence against suspension, Maimane will be accused not only of being sloppy (and derelict) in the manner in which he addressed the issue over the weekend, but also still taking orders from a pro-Zille clique determined to pull his strings for as long as possible. Ultimately, the prevarication on dealing with Mrs Zille in a responsible and politically dignified manner has come back to bite the DA. It could’ve been a win for the DA but instead, both Zille and Maimane stand to lose...
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