It would appear that on the eve of most elections, there is the temptation to jump into bed with arch rivals. However, William Clay aptly stated that in the game of politics “. . . there are no permanent enemies and no permanent friends, only permanent interests.”
News is already doing the rounds of the impending merger between Bantu Holomisa’s United Democratic Movement (UDM) and some elements of Cope . . . or at least the shrapnel and debris of the Mbazima Shilowa led elements.
On hearing this I just hoped this alliance would at least see it through to the election and would not be just another one night stand like the Helen Zille and Mamphela Ramphele fiasco that began last week. These two women, both powerhouses in their own right decided to join forces last week in a bid to strengthen the opposition vote against the giant that is the African National Congress.
Helen Zille, the leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA) says she has been courting Mamphela for a long time on the back of their 40-year friendship. She affirms that it has always been the DA’s intention to form a formidable opposition party which began with the merger of Patricia de Lille’s Independent Democrats Party (ID) with the DA in 2010. A union which Mamphela has been credited with orchestrating along with Zille.
The ultimate goal was to finally rope in Mamphela into the DA, an offer which she turned down to form her own political party Agang which would further her ambitions for the presidential hot seat. Mamphela was born in 1947 in the Transvaal.
A Medical doctor by profession she is also well-read and published academic. Mamphela is not new to politics having been a political activist in her university days. She was one of the founding members of the Black Consciousness Movement where she met Steve Biko. Many either refer to her as his mistress or life partner; nonetheless they sired two children together.
Beyond political activism she was appointed the deputy vice chancellor of the University of Cape Town in 1991 and later in 1996 became the first black female South African to hold the post of vice chancellor.
This is a position she held before she assumed the role of one of the four managing directors of the World Bank. She has held directorships on several boards and is a highly revered individual on the international arena.
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With a personal net worth of R55 million she is a force to reckon with. With her credentials it is no wonder why the DA would have favoured her for their presidential candidate. Furthermore, by virtue of being black she would have appealed to the black electorate which the DA continues to woo in its bid to shirk off its image of being a white supremacist party.
It is clear why the DA would have made such overtures to Mamphela, but what were Mamphela’s motives? After its launch on June 22 2013 amidst much pomp and ceremony, Agang has sort of faded into oblivion. I was only reminded of its existence a few weeks ago when I saw the election posters being draped on poles and trees in the public arena.
This was then followed by a Jehovah’s Witness style door to door campaign to recruit members. It would appear that the party with barely any teeth has failed to make traction among the electorate.
Moreover it has been dogged by financial problems, infighting and mismanagement which is what is said to have driven Mamphela to seek a lifeline with the DA without consulting her own party. Many met her decision with disparaging and hateful comments painting it as the biggest black economic empowerment deal where Mamphela was merely a front for the DA.
“Rent a Black” claims did the rounds accusing the DA of trying to window dress their campaign. A claim that Zille repeatedly refuted saying Mamphela was a strong brand with strong struggle credentials, a good reputation in institutional leadership.
However it’s surprising that this same brand has failed to work for Mamphela and yet somehow the DA thought they could gain mileage from it. In a famous U-turn Ramphele stunned the country once again by announcing her reversal in her decision to join the DA.
This off course made her appear indecisive and impulsive, both which put a dent on her credibility as a leader. Her attraction to the DA has been fatal at best. I fear this will be the death of Ramphele’s political career and Agang.
Helen Zille failed to get the much needed traction from this union but somehow I believe she will survive it and move on. Such is the game of politics. There are winners; and there are losers. Sukoluhle Nyathi is the author of the novel The Polygamist. You can follow her on Twitter @SueNyathi
