DANIEL SILKE: Maimane is Ramaphosa Lite and the EFF heavies are coming
'For many current and future DA supporters, Ramaphosa is just simply an attractive politician with the smarts and business savvy to book'
To say that the end of the Jacob Zuma era has removed the political ‘gift that keeps on giving’ for opposition parties, is an understatement. Zuma’s descent into political and legal quicksand has dealt a blow – particularly to the DA – as it grapples to find new avenues of political attack and deal with the daemons of transformation within its own ranks. South Africa is a country of special circumstances for political parties. And transformation is crucial to acclimatise to changing electoral demands. But as essential as this is, there is harsh reality well beyond transformation that threatens to disrupt the DA’s growth path. Whilst the party has been highly effective in its mandate as Official Opposition and in the multitude of legal battles holding the ANC to account, it nonetheless seems unable to capitalise on its historic watchdog role. The problem for the DA is that whilst Jacob Zuma was an easy target, Cyril Ramaphosa is not. When you have spent much of the last decade Zuma-b...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.