WHY THE DA LOST GAUTENG- LESSONS FROM KHAYALITSHA
Much hoped was placed in the opposition “Democratic Alliance’s” David vs Goliath campaign to take South Africa’s wealthiest province from the A.N.C.
In a province where the local A.N.C. branch opposed President Zuma’s re-election as A.N.C. president, and where frequent power outages, the e-tolling debacle, and crimehave had a serious impact on home and business alike, the charismatic and black Mmusi Maimane should have been swept to victory.
However, those of us who feel shocked and disappointed that despite some growth in Soweto and Alexandra, the masses in those great bastions of the anti-Apartheid struggle stuck with the comfort-zone of the party they know and trust, despite its failings and corruption, should look to the province we all jealous of for some guidance.
the DA has been in power for no short time in Cape Town and the Western Cape, and has had plenty of opportunity to garner support and loyalty by changing the lives of the impoverished masses in its own black townships like Khayalitsha and Gugulethu- it certainly promised much in this area.
It even promised a rapid transport system between Khaya and the city before the last local elections, which does not seem to have materalized.
Yet the results speak for themselves- the DA won the Western Cape again due to its non-black majority, in fact with an increased majority.
in this ward in Khaya, however ,and many others, it coudln’t even manage 2% of the vote:
NATIONAL RESULTS FOR19100095?
PARTY VALID VOTES SEATS %VOTE
ANC 17 191 88.77%
EFF 1 309 6.76%
DA 256 1.32%
If in a province where the black minority is a relatively small percentage of the population, the DA has been unable to change the lives and loyalties of the urban poor blacks of the townships, and certainly hasn’t got the votes to show for it, how could we honestly have expected their cousins up on the Highveld to swallow Helen and Mmusi’s promises of free rent and 6 million jobs?
It is only when the D.A. is able to win the black vote in its own “success story”, the Western Cape, that it will have a chance of convincing the masses in Soweto and Alex to give it a try too, and this should be its focus in the next 5 years, not just planning for the coming local elections.
The ANC might be corrupt, but at least it gave its people water,electricity,and hope, so their monopolistic tyranny and arrogance has been given yet another 5 years, not because of their greatness, but because of the lack of real alternatives that people can trust.
Maybe the people aren’t as stupid as some think?
yoniisaacson.com 