Last week, it became crystal clear that all is not well within the ranks of the DA.

Some went as far as to say that it was only a matter of time before the party’s leader was ousted from his position, saying “the writing is on the wall for Mmusi Maimane”.

Then, in a move that caught many by surprise on Friday, Helen Zille threw her name into the ring to become the DA’s chair of the federal council, with current incumbent James Selfe on the way out.

Zille’s announcement came just hours before nominations closed, and caught many people unaware. Here’s News24:

Speaking to eNCA’s morning host Jane Dutton on Monday, Zille said she decided to make herself available firstly, because she was “asked to” and secondly, because she believed she could bring “unity and stability to the party again”.

However, she said she had no intention of becoming party leader again.

“I’m not in the least bit interested in the DA leadership.”

Zille said she didn’t need to be in a leadership position to be effective, but would prefer to play a behind-the-scenes role “in putting together the systems, structures and processes” of the DA.

In an interview with the Daily Maverick, Zille said she only started seriously considering the request to return on Thursday morning, and admitted that the party needs help to win back the trust of the public:

“It is my view that SA’s democracy depends on the DA’s success. I think I can contribute to that as I have substantial experience in all aspects of governance and the party. Of course, no-one is indispensable. But I want to do my best to help get things back on track. The DA has been through a difficult time, as is clear for anyone with eyes to see.”

Mmusi Maimane supporters were particularly caught off guard, as they had hoped that Selfe’s position would be filled by Athol Trollip, who is Maimane’s choice for the position.

In addition, Maimane admitted publicly that his relationship with Zille has become strained:

“We have had a difficult relationship in the past. But, for us, the focus is on the future. Let the delegates decide on the future of the DA,” Maimane said.

Without comment, here’s Brandan Reynolds’ cartoon on TimesLIVE yesterday:

Whether or not the return of a character as potentially divisive as Zille, who has spent much of her last two years away from office arguing with people on Twitter, will bring voters back to the DA remains to be seen.

Clearly, there are many who disagree, like City Press editor-in-chief Mondli Makhanya.

He argues that Zille’s return would only further alienate black voters, and that the party’s internal battle to remove Maimane can only spell disaster:

A whitened DA – rather than a diversified one – will be grist to the mill for those who want to play the populist politics of race in the governing party and elsewhere.

Never mind the damage to the DA itself, South Africa’s body politic and discourse will be poorer.

If Maimane and his crew win this battle, the war will not be over.

The mutineers will regroup in the hills, re-arm and launch strike after strike in the hope of eventually taking the city.

The party will be paralysed and permanently at war with itself.

With the ANC stuck in the same rut and expending so much energy on internal issues that it is unable to move the country forward, South Africa will have its two main parties mired in strife and distracted from governance conversations.

Other reports suggest that former DA leader Tony Leon, along with senior party members, formed a group that asked Maimane to step down.

So, where are we at?

The EFF is a self-enrichment pyramid scheme that feeds off the money of the poor, the ANC is so inept that it can’t even practice its criminality properly (not that it matters, because nobody ends up in jail), and now the DA is mired in the midst of an identity crisis that threatens to undo decades of hard work.

In short, it’s all a mess.

The election of the party’s federal executive chairperson will take place later this month, and the other candidates for the position are Mike Waters, Thomas Walters and Athol Trollip.

[sources:news24&dailymaverick&citypress]