Zille As DA Leader? I Hope Not 4
The DA must be absolutely insane if they think that replacing soon to be outgoing leader Tony Leon with Mayor Helen Zille will be anything short of a political disaster. Why on earth would she go from a position where she actually has some political power to one where she has none?
For her to abandon the post so soon after the bitter fight for mayor will be comparable to Rudy Giulani leaving his post as mayor of New York right after the 9/11 attacks. Cape Town DA voters would not be happy.
This also highlights the fact that the DA has no one at the top (who is not a middle aged white male) who can take over. DA Western Cape leader Theuns Botha can prattle on about how it won’t be hard to replace Zille as mayor, it will just be a lot harder to clean up the ensuiung PR fallout.
“This also highlights the fact that the DA has no one at the top (who is not a middle aged white male) who can take over.”
Sorry Farrel, but you’re wrong on this one- Joe Seremane has an outstanding record: he is a lawyer, has ben in the DA since the very beginning, spent time on Robben Island during Apartheid, and can speak 6 SA languages fluently. He may not have the same political bravado and showmanship as Leon, but he has a certain common touch that is very endearing. I have only heard him speak on two occasions, but on both he delivered an excellent, heartwarming speech.
Yes, he is old, but that doesn’t seem to matter in African leadership- if anything, it seems to instil confidence.
I really think he can do it- just not sure if he will run!
Sure there’s Joe but he’s the exception rather than the rule. He is definitely getting on in age and I think if he takes the job he will be little more than a caretaker leader while they scramble to try and find some younger black leadership to groom and take over in a few years.
Really, Farrel, you make it sound as though Joe Seremane had one foot in the grave already. He’s only 68 for heaven’s sake. As Helen probably won’t get the job (even though, for her, nothing seems impossible), I would like to see Joe as the DA’s new leader. He’s perfect.
I agree that it would be wrong for Helen to take over from Tony now.
I have 6 candidates who I think could contest the position. At the moment I think Joe Seremane is a leading candidate but the dark horse is Atholl Trollip- DA Leader in the Eastern Cape. You can read my blog on what I think Tony should do next before he writes that book… http://wsussman.blogspot.com