If people don't take you seriously why would other parties want to work with you and never mind people vote for you? Even more so when you've proven to be unreliable as a coalition partner to all sides (both ANC and DA).
I still see that comment hurting you. How come, Champ? Why has it demolished your studio so...?
If which people don't take you seriously, John and Zille? The only people you should care about is your voters, you will find that as soon as you have the votes others have no choice, especially when they need your share of the vote to govern, did the DA not take the EFF seriously when they gave them the metros? Yes they did and happily governed, did they not take them seriously when they told them your time is up and kicked them out? Yes they did.
That is all you need in politics, real power, not this imaginary nonsense of being taken seriously like all those useless parties the DA take seriously, just look at what a spectacle Mashaba has become, but the DA take him seriously more than the PA, right?
Forget about other parties taking you seriously and concentrate on your voters, the other parties will come to you and beg, you will put your demands in the table and they will give you what you want, when they start their nonsense you yank your vote.
You really need to catch a wake up ndoda, things work differently in the real world.