Durban - The DA’s election of a leader this weekend at its national elective conference will also set the tone for how the party deals with coalition agreements before next year’s national election.
The party’s federal leader, John Steenhuisen, who is seeking his second term, and former Johannesburg mayor Dr Mpho Phalatse are the front runners for leadership as the party looks to gain ground on the ANC.
Phalatse said if the ANC dropped to below 50% at next year’s election there would be different possible scenarios, and the worst case scenario would be an ANC and EFF coalition.
She said this would set the country back, and instead a coalition bloc of progressive parties would be better to form an alternative government.
Steenhuisen has described this weekend’s conference that will determine who will lead the party into next year’s elections as a “game changer”. On coalitions, Steenhuisen said the core focus was that the ANC should not retain its majority after the 2024 elections.
“We have started to work with parties where we have common values and alignment to be able to look at how we can reduce the ANC. I fully acknowledge that the DA is not going to be able to bring the ANC below 50% on its own,” Steenhuisen said in an interview.
“We are going to require other parties to work with, and that is why in the by-elections we stood back so the IFP could take the seat from the ANC.
“They stood back in ward 25 in Pietermaritzburg and we were able to take that seat, and at the same time we did not contest in one of their areas and we ended up taking two seats.”
Steenhuisen said this only took place when there were mature parties working together, and described coalitions as “tough”.
“Nobody wants to go into an election wanting a coalition, you want to get your own majority, and where you have this you are able to deliver far more
efficiently than when you have 10 hands on the steering wheel,” said Steenhuisen.
Dean Macpherson and Dianne Kohler Barnard will be contesting the crucial provincial chairperson position when the party holds its conference in KwaZulu-Natal next month.
Macpherson, the current chairperson, said under his leadership over the past two years, the party in the province had been focused on the issue of coalitions in 2024, and “how best to be prepared for them when the time comes”.
“Should I be re-elected to stand as chairperson in KZN, we’ll continue to build relationships with parties that have common interests and goals in KZN.
This is a project we have begun already, and while not perfect, we are making incremental progress to ensure we have a stable KZN government in 2024.”
He said coalitions did not mean they will agree on all items of government with interested parties.
“We will engage on an issue-by-issue basis and seek common ground in the interests of our constituents, and ensure we stay true to our principles.”
Kohler Barnard said while issues regarding coalitions in KZN would be looked at closely, this process would be overseen by the party at a national level.
“These are discussed at the highest levels and taken by the leader in the province. It is no good entering into a coalition with an entity that may financially abuse the situation,” she said.
Political analyst Dr Ralph Mathekga said the DA in its national coalition discussions would be pragmatic and would require a huge tactical shift before the elections. “The problem with a DA and ANC coalition is that coalition partners become part of the problem by association,” he said.