DA Federal Chairperson, Helen Zille. Photographer: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers
IT’S taken the DA a number of hard knocks with the signing of crucial Bills into law to finally wake up and realise that the ANC has reduced them to nothing but chief cheerleaders in the so-called Government of National Unity (GNU).
With ease the ANC had its way with the Basic Education Laws Amendment or Bela, thwarted a DA minister’s attempt to withdraw the SABC Bill in Parliament and recently had the Expropriation Bill signed into law in what now will become a true test of the GNU.
The signing of the latter has not only drawn severe criticism from the DA, which claims it was not consulted before the president put pen to paper, but has ruffled the feathers of right-wing lobby groups such as AfriForum and Solidarity, groups that are hellbent on preserving the current status-quo which has confined the black majority into only about 7% of the country’s land ownership.
Not to be outshined by these organisations, who have peddled lies about the country’s land and property right laws, the DA has now launched a court application with an intention of challenging the constitutionality of the Act.
It only makes sense that the DA has taken such a stance. Many will recall the DA abandoning its approach of attracting black voters when Mmusi Mamimane was at the helm in favour of competing with AfriForum, which at the time had eaten a lion’s share of the DA’s white support.
Therefore the signing of the Expropriation Bill finally broke the DA’s back, so to speak. It could not sit and fold its arms knowing that the constituents its so desperately needs to attract from Freedom Front Plus will be alienated by such a move.
Remember that these are some of the people who fear change and redress no matter the positive outcomes. The DA’s court challenge must therefore be seen within the context of preserving the current status-quo, which benefits the few, but majority of them the people that keep that party going.
It will however create a huge crack that the GNU may not be able to repair. Whatever the outcome, there will be losers and winners.
Cape Times