South Africa's Main Opposition Party Caught in an Unenviable Political Bind

analysis

The results of the recent municipal by-elections have confirmed that the Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa's leading opposition party, is in trouble. Whereas the governing African National Congress (ANC) retained 64 wards, won six new ones and lost just two, the DA retained 14, won just two new ones, and lost nine, mainly to smaller opposition parties. And the party has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Although it ran a slick virtual federal congress in October at which John Steenhuisen trounced Mbali Ntuli by securing the backing of 80% of those who voted in a party leadership contest, it attracted negative headlines by preventing the pair from holding virtual "town halls" in the lead-up to the vote. It then restricted viewership of the two contestants' debate at the congress itself to its members, rather than to the public at large.

...

AllAfrica publishes around 400 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.