The great DA-EFF coalition conundrum

Vox Populi Vox Dei

Vox Populi Vox Dei

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SHOULD the DA agree to a coalition with the EFF in order to form a government in metros such as Tshwane and Johannesburg, possibly other places too?

Put another way, should a social democratic party committed to the free market team up with a revolutionary movement that advocates radical socialism? And vice versa? It’s a complex problem.

For the DA the potential prize is easy to identify: power, and with it the chance to enhance its brand as a party of excellent service delivery. In turn, through a metro government or two in Gauteng, a chance to ensure a long-term foothold in the province ahead of the 2019 national elections and beyond.

Likewise, the potential downside is easy enough to identify: a compromised government undermined by the EFF’s own agenda, along with a thousand other political landmines inherent to such an agreement. Damage to the DA’s brand as a party of excellent service delivery could have dire consequences for the 2019 elections and beyond.

Any potential upside is more difficult to see for the EFF. It is hard to imagine any universe in which a coalition with the DA — its mortal ideological enemy — would have any long-term benefit for the party or its brand.

As the majority party, the DA and its support base could perhaps stomach an EFF coalition; safe in the knowledge that the party controls the fundamental levers of power — the money and the mayoralty.

ULTIMATELY, the EFF would be subservient to the DA’s grand agenda. But there is no scenario in which the EFF would be allowed to exercise that sort of primary control in a coalition, and so, one must ask, how could such an arrangement possibly benefit the EFF?

Power is only useful to a party from a political perspective if it can be used to promote and enhance its brand. But the EFF’s brand is enmeshed with revolution and radical socialism. It would be agreeing to a dispensation designed to deliver the very things it stands against.

You get the sense that for a coalition with the DA to work the EFF would effectively have to sacrifice itself; or, at least, to potentially sacrifice the ability to strengthen its brand and grow in any meaningful way ahead of 2019. Government would act as a constraint; the EFF could no longer behave like it does in, say Parliament, as disrupters and agitators. It would now be held to a different standard.

For example, in 2015, as part of a "national occupy land week" the EFF called on "all homeless people to identify open and unoccupied land wherever they choose and engage in the struggle to restore their land". You can’t advocate that kind of thing if you are actually in government.

That was a lesson the DA had to learn after it won Cape Town in 2006. Of course, its behaviour as an opposition was always more reasonable. Nevertheless, it could no longer promote any idea that it could not be held up to in its own governments. Its policy programme had to become more sophisticated and its role in the opposition carefully balanced against its role in government to harmonise the two. Were the EFF to do that, it would strip a great deal out of its political repertoire which largely relies, in all honesty, on its never having to actually account for anything it says and rarely for anything it does.

It was arguably a great relief to the EFF that it did not win control over any council. That buys it a certain amount of time to remain accountability-free. Once you are part of the system, it is much more difficult to oppose it. And that goes to the heart of the EFF’s dilemma.
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Continue: http://www.bdlive.co.za/opinion/columnists/2016/08/10/the-great-da-eff-coalition-conundrum
 
Preferably not, but it may be a necessary evil so that government is not paralysed.
I would prefer if they avoided it though.
 
If the EFF is not short-sighted, it might see the benefit of teaming up with the DA. It can build it's brand with the DA and advertise that brand in the 2019 elections. They can then safely say "see how we improved the lives of the people where we were part of the government, not the opposition". That in itself can sway a lot of voters who think the EFF is just a rabbit dog.
 
From a principled point of view, no coalition should be formed.

But the main question that needs to be asked is, "what is best for the people in the metro?".

If a coalition between DA and EFF is best, then do it.

If a coalition between DA and ANC is best, then do it.

I actually would prefer a DA and other minority parties coalition over EFF.

I would even prefer a DA-ANC coalition over EFF.

I just don't trust Malema. And face it, EFF is nothing without Malema. He's a snake.
 
Tikkop said:
From a principled point of view, no coalition should be formed.

But the main question that needs to be asked is, "what is best for the people in the metro?".

If a coalition between DA and EFF is best, then do it.

If a coalition between DA and ANC is best, then do it.

I actually would prefer a DA and other minority parties coalition over EFF.

I would even prefer a DA-ANC coalition over EFF.

I just don't trust Malema. And face it, EFF is nothing without Malema. He's a snake.
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I think the problem here is that there is only two options. DA/EFF or DA/ANC. Both stink from a DA POV, but you need one of them.
 
Lord Farquart said:
I think the problem here is that there is only two options. DA/EFF or DA/ANC. Both stink from a DA POV, but you need one of them.
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cant we get a DA partnering with all the tiny parties to take some of the metros? or dont they have enough majority?

if they cant come to any agreements? will we have elections again?
 
eg2505 said:
cant we get a DA partnering with all the tiny parties to take some of the metros? or dont they have enough majority?

if they cant come to any agreements? will we have elections again?
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DA can do that in PE.

In fact, they should stand back in JHB and Tshwane and continue to let the ANC hang itself and let EFF self destruct by partnering with the ANC. Play the long game.
 
JayM said:
In fact, they should stand back in JHB and Tshwane and continue to let the ANC hang itself and let EFF self destruct by partnering with the ANC. Play the long game.
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They didn't contest the elections to not win the GP metros. Those metros are essential for growing the brand. We do not know what's going to happen in the future - so the chances have to be taken when they come.
 
JayM said:
DA can do that in PE.

In fact, they should stand back in JHB and Tshwane and continue to let the ANC hang itself and let EFF self destruct by partnering with the ANC. Play the long game.
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but dont they have a deadline to keep to?
what happens if they cant agree to partner together? will there be elections again?

or is it now a waiting game?
 
BRANDON69 said:
No with the 2019 elections DA need to keep city of Johannesburg and Tshwane because that will get the majority of Anc supporters to maybe change the vote to DA so that will give DA the upper hand in proving full force they can win the hearts of people by fair governance corruption free plus jobs us if ANC keeps these metros we can see the Anc voters still sticking to Anc come 2019 and still governing after 2019 so what I am saying if there is a hand in which DA has which is coalition with Eff take and can bulid on that govern after 2019.
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Teaming up with the EFF will mean sabotage and blackmail at every turn. This will affect their ability to deliver any meaningful changes and clean up the ANC mess, which will damage the brand. Rather shoot the lights out in PE and let the ANC and EFF destroy themselves with in-fighting elsewhere.
 
eg2505 said:
but dont they have a deadline to keep to?
what happens if they cant agree to partner together? will there be elections again?

or is it now a waiting game?
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No one really knows if there will be a rerun as the law behind it is a little vague.
 
The EFF could be a huge liability, but at the same time, there is massive potential for both parties.

For the smaller parties in a coalition, they often don't get the recognition for improvements in government and thus loose support to the larger party.
In this case though, the DA and EFF have largely disparate voter groups who would not likely switch to the other party. It would therefore serve them both well if the DA publicly promotes the concessions they make to the EFF in order to make the EFF look good and grow the EFF vote.
This can serve both parties well as this could help eat into the ANC support base from both sides. With the ANC support base heading for less than 50%, this could make for very interesting elections going forward.

The only problem is that the EFF only knows how to disrupt and the ANC will likely employ the same tactics in any area which is governed in part with the EFF.
 
JayM said:
DA can do that in PE.

In fact, they should stand back in JHB and Tshwane and continue to let the ANC hang itself and let EFF self destruct by partnering with the ANC. Play the long game.
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I'm starting to think this may be the best strategy for the DA. They have NMB to show they can perform as in CT. People will be watching the DA in NMB very closely, so if successful they will win votes elsewhere.

Rather than get involved in what may become an very messy situation if they go into a coalition with EFF or ANC in Gauteng metros. That could set them back through no fault of their own.
 
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LazyLion said:
Preferably not, but it may be a necessary evil so that government is not paralysed.
I would prefer if they avoided it though.
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Then a re-election will be on the tables if a majority cannot be established. Malema will want land grabs to happen immediately without delay ; trust me people are voting for him cause of the policy of the EFF which is shocking. Nationalism
 
News 24 saying that the DA and EFF have agreed that the DA will get JHB and the EFF PTA
 
Personally, I am tired of all the division and "us" vs "them" mentality. I will work with anyone who wants to help build my community. There is a lot of hate. Racism is fed by hate, hate is fed by fear, and fear by ignorance. I think the DA and the EFF working together could help both parties learn something. I would support any action by the DA to reduce division and form a working coalition.
 
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