COMMENT: The DA finds itself at a crossroads, and its leaders will need to become more competent in political management skills and will have to keep their focus on what the future holds, rather than on short-term gains.
Now that the Democratic Alliance has taken significant steps to transform itself in response to the need to move beyond representing minorities, the party could enter a chaotic transition, which might change its voter demographics or even lead to the formation of a splinter party.
They started to work towards a carefully managed transformation process by changing the face of the senior leadership in the party. The DA became the official political home of mainly white people and to a lesser extent some Asian and coloured voters since 2004 when it consolidated its position over rival parties.
But a voter exodus and a splinter party do not have to happen if those who might feel sidelined in the party choose to become sacrificial lambs for the sake of a more united South Africa. When reformists in the DA succeeded in including diversity among the party’s values, many members and supporters did not believe this was characteristic of a liberal party. The idea of equitable racial representation in leadership positions and in government was contested because of its similarity with the quota system.
If the leaders in the DA accept this political and policy equilibrium, they might put the party on a sustainable path towards being a true embodiment of rainbow nationhood in the country. This could bode very well for the growth trajectory of the party and could result in a net gain of voters even if a conservative or even racist section of its support base leaves the party.
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