Ramphele deal an error on DA's part - analyst

Nom Chompsky

Nom Chompsky

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Cape Town - A political analyst has described the agreement between the Democratic Alliance and Agang SA as an "error of judgement on the DA's part".

The two parties announced on Tuesday that Agang SA leader Mamphela Ramphele would stand as the DA's presidential candidate in the 2014 general election.

Political analyst Steven Friedman said Ramphele lacked a constituency and could not claim a history within the ANC - an advantage Cope's leaders had - because she had never been a member.

"Agang was a non-starter," Friedman said, adding that Ramphele's appeal lay with people who were already supporting the DA and that she was unlikely to lure away ANC voters.

Race politics

Earlier, Ramphele said the deal was a bid to consign race politics to the dustbin.

"This is a historic moment. We are going to take away the excuse of race and challenge the ANC to be judged on its performance. We are taking away that race card and putting it in the dustbin."

She added that she was "honoured" to accept the DA's invitation to front its campaign, saying: "I believe that this decision is in the best interests of South Africa as we head into turbulent waters."

Ramphele, who is best known as an academic and former Black Consciousness activist, spoke after Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille announced the move, ending speculation over a merger.

"I can announce today that Dr Mamphela Ramphele has accepted the DA's invitation to stand as our presidential candidate in the 2014 general election."

Zille said she had "badgered" Ramphele for years to front the DA's drive to expand its power base because the outspoken academic had the credibility that she herself lacked to persuade voters that it was a party for all races.

"There is no way a party with Mamphela Ramphele as presidential candidate will bring back apartheid," Zille said, adding that Ramphele's statement above would have rung hollow had it come from her.

"This is a game-changing moment for South Africa," she said, before terming it the fruition of a seven-year project to bring about a realignment in a political landscape long divided by race.

The merger comes about a year after Ramphele launched Agang SA after initially rejecting an offer of replacing Zille as party leader, choosing instead to go it alone despite surveys predicting very limited support for the venture.
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Continue reading: http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics/Ramphele-deal-an-error-on-DAs-part-analyst-20140128
 
Ramphele lacked a constituency and could not claim a history within the ANC
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I would say the latter part of that comment is a good thing
 
Like it or not, many middle-class blacks are still wary of a seemingly white DA party (even though it's not, that is the perception for some). Not to mention the working class.

Having a black figurehead can do nothing but help the DA's chances of gaining more votes.
 
Steven Friedman to me is like another political correct character, like that Pierre de Vos intellectual... Well, everybody is entitled to their opinion.
 
"There is no way a party with Mamphela Ramphele as presidential candidate will bring back apartheid," Zille said,
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The fact Zille had to say that today is just mind blowing in itself. That there is a huge populace that believes that would happen..

wtf.
 
So on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being close, 10 being far,

how similar were the policies of the DA and Agang.

I would go with a 2.
 
daveza said:
So on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being close, 10 being far,

how similar were the policies of the DA and Agang.

I would go with a 2.
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At first glance on the websites they seem very similar. Question on the name though, why is it Agang SA? Why not just Agang?
 
So if they are very similar on policy, what's the fuss ?

Lemme guess - because Ramphele has joined a majority white party ?

Is it about the policy or is it just about black and white ?
 
I don't really see this as a DA mistake. In the unlikely event of ANC support dipping below 50%, Ramphele would be in a much better place than Zille to forge a coalition and save us from Zuma II.
 
Joker said:
The fact Zille had to say that today is just mind blowing in itself. That there is a huge populace that believes that would happen..

wtf.
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Yeah I know, it blew my mind, because everyone in my circle just wants to live their life, wants the economy to stabilize and for everyone to contribute in taxes which would benefit us far more than bringing back Apartheid.
I could never understand it until I visited a small dorpie in the middle of nowhere, where it felt like you were stepping back 50 years. Where they still speak about the K##### this and the K##### that. These are the kinds of people who are employing thousands of unskilled workers and that is the impression those workers are left with. I'm not saying the workers are little saints, they are also the bottom of the barrel and hate the whites just as much, but for the first time I understood why the DA has it's work cut out for it.
 
3WA said:
I don't really see this as a DA mistake. In the unlikely event of ANC support dipping below 50%, Ramphele would be in a much better place than Zille to forge a coalition and save us from Zuma II.
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Agree. The DA has been constantly changing the last couple of years and its a good thing. Get the good Dr onboard was no easy task and speaks volumes of the DA's credibility.

Too many of these 5 minutes of fame analysts forget that DA, like the ANC, is party of alliances of other parties. It just shows the dynamic nature of the South African political scene where we don't have one single individual political movement that has an overwhelming majority support (remember the ANC is a group of political movements) and that is what's standing between us and Zimbabwe2.0
 
Agree with the article, what is agang? Who is agang? Basically a no one with no real track record or foundation.
Stupid politics, zille did the same with Patricia last time around.
People are fools to get excited about it, naive stupid fools.
 
Gulio said:
Agree with the article, what is agang? Who is agang? Basically a no one with no real track record or foundation.
Stupid politics, zille did the same with Patricia last time around.
People are fools to get excited about it, naive stupid fools.
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What? are you crazy. Patricia cemented the coloured vote in the region. That was the best move they could have made.
And yes Agang is nothing, but Mamphela Ramphele is very well respected, and just that she would join them gives an huge amount of credibility to the DA.
 
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