So the DA believes in affirmative action after all.
Surprise, surprise.
As the party that prided themselves on appointing
people on merit rather than skin colour, Madam Zille chose 12 men to her
cabinet in 2009. Read: no women capable in all of the DA to be appointed to a
cabinet post. Her argument was: “fit for purpose”.
But then this “we believe in merit” principle was conveniently set aside when Donald Grant (MEC for Education) himself said that he wasn’t
clued up on the DA’s education policy. He admitted that he was forced
to go and read up on the policies of the DA before moving to Cape Town. Merit?
Experience? Qualification? Where?
All a bit stale now isn’t it? Well fast forward to
2011. Lindiwe Mazibuko, one of the youngest MP’s in the DA’s caucus, and in
Parliament only for whopping 2 years. She has absolutely no qualifications in
political science and, as just mentioned, served only 2 years as an MP; so one
can’t even say that her experience makes up for lack of formal qualification.
She now holds the most senior DA position in
parliament and is paid a salary higher than that of other leaders of opposition
parties because she is the “Leader of the Official Opposition”. Poor Lekota,
don’t talk about Prince Buthelezi! Oops, have I mentioned that Mazibuko is a
Black African? A rising star, with a pay check to match it nonetheless. Because
of her qualifications and/or experience? I think not.
Right on the heels of the Mazibuko election is the
appointment (note: appointment, not election) of Mmusi Maimane as the party’s
national spokesperson. The person to hold the job before him was qualified and
yes you’ve guessed it: was Mazibuko, who at least had a Honours in Communications. Does Maimane have experience as a spokesperson? No. Does he at
least have a qualification in communications, journalism or anything to hold
the job? He has a degree in Theology! Anything near communications?
Journalism? Nope!
If these candidates were to have applied for these
jobs in the private sector there is no way they would’ve gotten it and/or the
salary-scale to match it. So much for the DA’s looking at merit and saying no
to affirmative action! But yes, the DA realises that it has to put Black African
faces in prominent positions to attract the majority of voters.
Madam Zille and her advisor-cum-tender adjudicator Coetzee
realise that if they are going to take the party anywhere near governing in
other provinces, they will have to rapidly promote pawns like Mazibuko and
Maimane. In fact, any Black African can be guaranteed a top position in the DA
today as long as you can speak queen’s English and say: yes Ma'am.
However, will the DA now have the integrity to
admit to the ANC that it was right in promoting affirmative action, now that they
themselves are promoting it in the party, never mind their government?
We need to look at the DA, their policies and
whether they actually stick to these policies because they want to be the
“alternative”. So it’s good that we honestly check out our options. It will be
interesting to see what the rest of their constituents think of the
Indigenisation of the DA. What’s going on in the minds of the majority of
minority groups who vote for the DA as they see race play a significant role in
the DA now. Because the reality is that like Grant, neither Mazibuko or Maimane
was “fit for purpose” or have the experience and/or qualifications for each of
their top jobs.
Yet the DA, and its supporters, will continue to argue
that they oppose appointments based on race. The DA is as fake as they come;
what a bunch of fakes.
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