The Democratic Alliance has begun to dig in its heels in order to defend its position in the Western Cape. This comes ahead of what party leader Mmusi Maimane predicts to be an “incredibly competitive” election cycle.
In recent months, the party has been met with challenges to its reputation in the Cape region, most notably in the founding of ‘Good’ by former DA Mayor of Cape Town, Patricia de Lille.
Opposition parties—sensing opportunity—have begun to ramp-up their campaign efforts in the Western Cape ahead of voting on the 8th of May.
However, despite the obvious challenges to the DA, the party should not be overly concerned about its standing in the Western Cape, says political analyst Ralph Mathekga.
“The DA will retain the Western Cape,” Mathekga says, “but there are concerns about the strength of its mandate.”
The potential disruption caused by the arrival of ‘Good’—as well as the question of how the party will deal with the issue of race—will be the DA’s major causes for concern ahead of the election, according to Mathekga.
He goes on to point out that the resignation of the DA’s policy head, Gwen Ngwenya, on the 24th of January came partly as a result of her dissatisfaction with party policy on racial issues.
Regardless of this, the DA itself seems to recognise the precariousness of its own position in the Western Cape.
“We are aware that our political opponents will intensify their campaigning in the Western Cape ahead of the 2019 elections,” says DA National Spokesperson and MP Solly Malatsi, claiming that the “racially divisive tactics” of the opposition will attempt to undermine the DA’s provincial credibility.
Statements by the opposition in the Western Cape, on the other hand, reflect the perceived opportunity.
“There will indeed be a decline in support from Western Cape voters toward the DA,” says EFF Provincial Treasurer, Thembile Klaas, “and this decline is going to be exploited by rival parties.”
The Democratic Alliance headquarters in Stellenbosch. PHOTO: Byron Mühlberg
In the 2016 municipal elections, the Stellenbosch Local Municipality received a proportionally similar number of votes in favor of the DA to those of other municipalities.
While the mayor’s office declined to comment on 2019 election prospects, changes at the provincial or the national level would have only a very limited effect on public administration in Stellenbosch.
All things considered, while winning the majority in the Western Cape will not be a walk in the park for the DA, their position is, ultimately, a strong one.
The real challenge for the party, says Mathekga, comes not from a slump in voter numbers, but rather from the lack of an overarching policy objective.