DA cannot attract black voters

IN the brave new world of post-apartheid South Africa the core values of liberal-democracy in the DA became so diluted that it has come to be perceived by the rest of the electorate, mostly marginalised black voters, as mere lip service.

In reality the DA has become a lobbyist for private sector interests. Social justice and its partner, transparency, were chucked out the back door to make space for political expediency and blatant hypocrisy.

A new leadership core with Helen Zille at its helm has been trying desperately to build a more inclusive image for the party since 2007. This desperation has led to the discarding of the principles of merit and competence in favour of Machiavellian political fronting.

There was the Mamphela Ramphele fiasco that revealed an astonishing blend of naiveté, cynicism and lack of accountability. Another debacle is brewing with the gormless Mmusi Maimane – oh what a "hollow man" he is.

Political parties that have to headhunt malleable candidates, circumvent party structures and then foist them upon the electorate, while the true power brokers pull the strings behind the scenes, cannot possibly be considered democratic in any way.

The DA has no hope of becoming our next government, even after the 2019 elections. It lacks the new South Africa appeal.

The DA elected Maimane to show its leadership is non-racial, as if any black face, whatever the pedigree, is okay as a leader for gullible black South Africans. Hence, voting DA is a betrayal of our revolutionary and developmental agenda.

The DA does not know, and will never know, what black passions and aspirations are.

The DA has consistently (and with justification) attacked government and parastatal inefficiencies, incompetence and outright corruption. At the same time it has turned a blind eye to massive private sector corruption dating back many decades.

Until there has been an economic truth and reconciliation commission there can be no justice in this country.

When it comes to education the DA's policies are also cause for concern. The DA however wants to further entrench outdated views with centres of excellence in a slavish aping of elitist institutions in the northern hemisphere, with total disregard for South African realities. Tellingly, its policy is silent on the role of education in producing a critical citizenry.

This means that the old accusation of university collaboration with the industrial complex is alive and well in South Africa.

What are the DA's plans to make quality legal aid accessible to every single South African? What are their plans to hold attorneys independently accountable?

If you have no answers, just shut up and let the ANC lead this country.

Thando Adonis, ANC member, East London