Why the GNU needs Helen Zille over John Steenhuisen

The social media pages have spoken. The Sunday papers have spoken. On days like today, South African politics feels like two primary school kids that, once every week, issue threats of “a big fight after school today – be there!” – and then all the two fighters say, in front of a crowd of roaring 11-year-olds, is "my brother is bigger than your brother” and they go home.

Oh, and "next time you will see!" The one guy kicks over the other's sandcastle, and all the other kid say, in a nasty, threatening voice is, "Okay, now you'll see! Now I won't come to your birthday party! How's that!?" 

The Democratic Alliance owes South Africa a sense-making dispute with the ANC. Take it to the ANC with dignity.

This threatening and then backing down each time is beginning to sound like the boy who cried wolf. It's akin to Donald Trump telling Iran, ahead of time, 'Hey Iran, I'm going to bomb your nuclear sites. And Iran says, 'Okay, thanks, Donald.' Give us two weeks to move everything. Then go ahead." Then Iran goes, "Hey Donald, we're going to bomb your base in Qatar. And Donald goes, 'Okay, but don't do it while I'm texting."

The DA is going to leave the National Dialogue? Seriously? It hasn’t even taken place yet. It’s voluntary. There are no invitations to be declined. Are they sure it’s not a speechwriter’s typo? GNU vs ND? I can see that mistake happening. I can see a speechwriter looking at John Steenhuisen’s handwriting and thinking, "Does this say, “government of national unity” or “government’s national dialogue?” The rest is history.  

The DA should challenge the ANC on its duplicity. Not threaten. Not back down. Unless, of course, the donors called and told John and Helen to go stand in the naughty corner. The chess player in me says, firstly, they won't win a motion of no confidence on this issue. Secondly, if they do, they will end up with Paul Mashatile, which will be a nightmare for them. It will mark the end of the GNU. Thirdly, in walks a new crop of coalition partners, with suits, briefcases, and knives and forks. Let the feasting begin. 

The DA has painted itself into a terrible corner. A tiny, tight, terrible corner. Several of their major donors must be fuming right now. And so probably are several million of their voters. Ramaphosa was right and wrong to fire Andrew Whitfield.

He's right because the law gives him that right. However, given his current tightrope walk, the fragility of his government, and the good work that the DA ministerial team is doing, he could have said, "I should have answered the deputy minister’s request and retrospectively approved his travel request.” Case closed. 

Both the DA and the ANC are increasingly looking like they don’t know how to show their deep love for each other to the public. We require a mature and astute opposition relationship between the two parties.

Our democracy needs it. So, what is the problem? The problem is John Steenhuisen. John doesn’t know how to manage his relationship with Cyril. Helen Zille does. All this mess would have been sorted out in private between Helen and Cyril a long time ago. It took Steenhuisen over nine months to fire his own appointee.

Zille is a crisis management specialist. However, because she's outside of government, she's left to issue party threats instead of dealing with the demons destroying the government system herself. 

The DA would do itself a favour by getting Zille into government, for its own sake. The bromance between Cyril and John is detrimental to our democracy.

The GNU has broken down so many times one is beginning to think it’s being serviced by two drunk mechanics wearing sunglasses in the dark. It needs Zille inside. It's called sanity. For the sake of a functioning government.

Cape Argus