So Many Questions: John Moodey

The Democratic Alliance has chosen Mmusi Maimane above veteran political Jack Bloom as its candidate for the premiership of Gauteng. Chris Barron asked the DA's provincial leader, John Moodey...

Was this about merit or colour?

Most definitely merit. It was a very closely contested election. I believe the members of the electoral college applied their minds and that the best candidate came to the fore.

Best from what point of view?

The best from all aspects.

Surely not from the aspect of experience - 25 years versus less than two?

Well, let's look at Barack Obama. He was a relatively junior senator and he became the president of the United States. It's not necessarily the amount of experience that makes one candidate better than the next. It's about what the person has to offer.

What does Maimane have to offer?

He and Bloom have a lot to offer in terms of experience and being good campaigners, the vision they have for the party and how we are to achieve the objective of 2014. Remember, the campaign for 2014 is not just the responsibility of the premier candidate. It will be a team effort.

If they both have the same to offer, why not be frank and admit that it came down to colour?

No, please don't try to put words in my mouth.

You're not sensitive about ANC accusations that the DA is too white?

No, definitely not.

Surely you have to be if you are hoping to attract black votes?

We have done our surveys and our research and, yes, the perception in the minds of many voters has been that the DA is a party for white people only ...

Wasn't choosing Maimane always going to be an effective way of countering that perception?

No, it just so happens to be that he is a black person.

So the DA's claim to be an equal opportunity party stands?

Definitely. Maimane has done excellent work and has had just as much exposure as Jack Bloom. It's not a matter of who's the newcomer on the block.

But it must be a matter, surely, of who will attract the black vote?

There are a whole lot of aspects and you're trying to pin it all on one aspect, and that is that a person is black. That's not necessarily so. It is a whole host of aspects that he brings. It is not about the colour of the person, it's about the work he is able to deliver.

Isn't this still a bit of an unknown quantity?

Over the past two and a half years that Maimane has been the leader of our caucus in Johannesburg - one of our biggest caucuses - and also as our national spokesperson, he has proved to most of the members on that electoral college that he has what it takes. And his election is based on this, not the colour of his skin. It is this kind of stereotyping that takes us backwards as a country, and it is that kind of thing the ANC is going to be playing on. If it had been Jack Bloom, then it would have been "the DA is not ready for a black premier". Now, because it is Maimane, it's a matter of "he got in because he's black and the DA needs black voters".

If you get those black voters, you're going to have to deliver. That's the core of your strategy for 2019, isn't it?

Exactly. And we have no doubt that Maimane has the ability to make it happen. But remember, it's not a one-man show, it's a team effort. We are very well advanced down the line in terms of putting into place the necessary support structures to ensure that the candidate will be able to deliver on the promise that we make. Because, indeed, that is very crucial. It is one thing winning an election; it is another thing governing and delivering.

And the person who can bring in the votes will not necessarily be the person best able to deliver afterwards?

We deliberated on all those things before the electoral college sat.

Did the leadership make its preferences known before the vote?

No, definitely not.

Unlike before the election of Lindiwe Mazibuko?

I am not going to say anything as far as that one is concerned. But I made it very clear that the process had to be free and fair. That is why I, as the provincial leader, expressed that I have no preference. Or put it this way, I do have a preference, but I remain neutral and will not divulge who my preference is. And that is still my stance. I also made it clear that whoever won would be our flag bearer, but that I would be the campaign leader for 2014. My job is [to figure out] how to use our prize fighter to the utmost so that we can achieve our objective.

You say you've changed the perception of the voters out there about the DA image. How do you know that?

We do our surveys. We are very meticulous about our surveys that we do on a weekly basis.

And they're telling you what?

Our support is growing in the townships and the informal areas. And it has got absolutely nothing to do with colour.