Opposition power has decreased - Leon
2013-01-24 07:40
Johannesburg - Opposition strength in South Africa has
decreased compared to 1994, former Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon said on
Wednesday.
"Although the overall opposition strength today is
slightly less than it was back then [when two provinces were outside ANC
control], the opposition terrain today itself incontestably belongs to the DA
and the wind seems set fair for a resounding electoral performance next
year."
In a speech in Johannesburg, Leon said the last election
revealed that the DA had unchallenged support among minority voters.
"The last census showed that this is a reducing bloc of
supporters. The key dilemma [and it is not new, incidentally, only more urgent]
is how to grow the party in a new market where the majority lives and votes,
while retaining faith with core values and old voters."
Black voters
He said in order to attract more votes from black South
Africans the DA had to close the distance between itself and the majority.
"Something which has far more to do with tone,
familiarity, identity and other intangibles and less to do with objective
policy propositions.
"But there will be a temptation to soft-pedal certain
propositions in order not to scare off new potential voters."
He said the DA could not be just a patronage machine
providing a "catch all" - scooping up every shade of disaffected
government supporter, from alienated Marxists to losers in the government
procurement stakes.
"Obviously politics is crucially about numbers. But as
the party grows and as some outsize personalities, some carrying a great deal
of baggage around with them indeed, are attracted to its ranks, just be sure
that the welcome mat is also marked with some clear red lines which new and old
recruits only cross at their peril."
Leon was the leader of the DA from 1999-2007. Although still
a member of the DA, he served as the South African ambassador to Argentina
under the ANC government from 2009 to 2012.
- SAPA
