Richard Maswanganyi's letter, "Zille and the DA will continue fighting for white people", on May 11 is a bit muddled about the party leader's real mission.

Richard Maswanganyi's letter, "Zille and the DA will continue fighting for white people", on May 11 is a bit muddled about the party leader's real mission.

He wrote: "She cannot serve two lords at the same time" - that is, protecting minority interests while attracting black voters - and he urges the DA "to fight for individual rights rather than group rights".

Maswanganyi will be heartened to hear that this is precisely what Zille and the DA stand for - individual, rather than group, rights. That is why the party can retain white support while attracting black voters who are tired of ANC corruption, incompetence and non-delivery.

In fact, the DA is moving South Africa away from identity-based to issue-and-value driven politics. This is exactly why the party under Zille's leadership is poised to take advantage of the "crack right in the middle" Maswanganyi expects one day soon in the ANC.

Then, I hope, Maswanganyi will be standing by to join us.

Martin Slabbert, spokesman for the DA leader, Cape Town