So the pub conversation near Hermanus two months ago about old white men possibly supporting President Cyril Ramaphosa rather than the DA in the next election has gone, as they say, viral. I'm told it's even in the media overseas.
I started it all by reporting a conversation I'd heard and the reaction from the DA has been so alarming I worry about the health of the people. It being Christmas I thought I'd put on my tweeds and brogues and offer some seasonal psychological advice.
For instance, Atholl, from Port Elizabeth, writes: "You f#@$%g lickspittle co*&^^%g sycophant p#$s."
Atholl, if you're a former mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay, try to be calm. There's another local election in 2021 and you're bound to almost win again. Next time, follow the example of your DA peers in Johannesburg and Pretoria and give the EFF the influence and tenders they want.
Ghaleb writes from Benoni: "Over the years Bruce has consistently shown poor political judgment. As editor of the Financial Mail in the 1990s he backed Bantu Holomisa and the UDM, showing that he would rather back a fringe and largely irrelevant party than a real alternative to the ANC. Bruce is of the view that Cyril's reform will accelerate if his mandate [in the forthcoming election] is large enough … then there's the little matter of expropriation without compensation (EWC)."
Ghaleb, you have the unmistakably ardent tone of a convert. Were you a member of the DA in 1999 when I endorsed the UDM? Today it seems reasonable to me that a strong ANC victory in the elections next year will strengthen, not weaken, Cyril. That's traditionally been the way politicians stay in office. Perhaps you know better.As for land, the DA, as you will know, believes that the constitution already allows for EWC. And if that is indeed the case and you oppose EWC, why are you not campaigning to change the constitution so that it specifically disallows it and, instead, why are you campaigning against an attempt by Ramaphosa simply to make explicit what you already believe rather than for it? You'll understand why people are confused.
Janet writes from Cape Town: "While I enjoy many of Peter Bruce's columns I concur with Ghaleb Cachalia. Bruce is still touting a vote for the ANC rather than the DA … this, he reasons, would prevent the ANC from needing to align with the EFF..."
Yes Janet. Spot on. The EFF is a threat to our future and our economy yet the DA in Johannesburg and Pretoria has put it in a strong position to influence tenders and win financial favours to enable it to finance its election campaign. Why would you reward that by voting for the DA again? In Johannesburg, a company called Afrirent has just won a huge tender to supply the city (run by DA mayor Herman Mashaba) with a vehicle fleet, beating a cheaper bid by Avis. This was after Afrirent had paid money into an account controlled by Julius Malema's cousin. Says amaBhungane: "Avis had bid to supply the fleet at R1.42bn over the originally specified five years, or R23.7m a month. Compare this to Afrirent's R1.26bn over 2½ years, or R41.8m a month." Yebo. The DA mayor was of course unaware of any of this. You keep voting DA, Janet, it's money in EFF pockets.
Alan from Hout Bay: "Strengthening our institutions is all to the good but before we all die of commission fatigue we need to have the culprits in court. Will the government pursue that course of action with the required vigour?"
Alan, you sound vaguely sane. Imagine being CEO of a company and not being sure if you have the board's support. Would you simply resign if it didn't back you or would you focus on what has to be done to turn your company and the futures of its people, your colleagues, around? I don't mean to be rude but caution when you're charging the enemy is not a weakness. Weakness is doing business with a fifth column (as the DA is doing with the EFF).
Paul, from Stellenbosch: "There is no way of ensuring EWC is avoided other than ensuring that the ANC and EFF do not get the necessary 66% majority next year."
Jeez Paul, get a grip. The DA agrees (AGREES!) that the constitution already allows for EWC. Did you know that? And the ANC and EFF are never going to agree on a constitutional change. So what you want is a state of affairs where it doesn't happen and land simply hangs over our heads for years until something far worse than the mere clarification Ramaphosa is proposing happens. Thanks for nothing, boetie.
Helen, from Cape Town, writes (well, not directly to me): "One of the DA's key strategic errors was to confuse this clear polarity [between it and the EFF] by agreeing to 'governance arrangements' with the EFF in two metros."
Well, quite, Helen. As a former DA leader you would know a cockup when you see one. But it's too late for tears now. The DA has enabled funding for the EFF in Johannesburg and Pretoria (google GladAfrica) and the only anti-venom is to help Ramaphosa stay in control at the ANC. The DA is as fatally compromised and divided as the hopeless ANC is. You have to trust a small group around Ramaphosa to pull us out of our dive.
A different Paul writes from Joburg: "Peter Bruce [says that] if the ANC falls below 50% both the EFF and the DA would be potential partners. Exactly, which is why anyone concerned to avoid further populist-driven calamity in SA must vote for the DA ."
Oh please, Paul. You understand that DA policy is to form coalitions or "arrangements" only where it is the biggest party. Yes? So do you agree with Helen above? If so, how do we know the DA would not again empower and effectively fund the EFF if it meant "running" a province or even the country? You can't answer because you don't know.
The fact is that our best future is a coalition of the constitutionalists in the DA and the ANC, but until the DA is the "bigger" party it won't contemplate such a thing. So in the absence of more information I'm going to back Ramaphosa. Merry Xmas...