Western Cape Premier and former DA leader Helen Zille says the party’s former parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko can still play a major role in SA politics.
Speaking at the Cape Town press club during the launch of her autobiography titled Not Without a Fight‚ Zille said that Mazibuko — who controversially left her position in the party in 2014 and is currently a resident fellow of the Harvard Institute of Politics in the US — can still play a key role within the DA going forward.
“Yes (she can still play a role)...Lindiwe is one of the most talented‚ able and articulate brains in South Africa‚” Zille said.
In her book‚ Zille discusses at length her decision to back Mazibuko for the parliamentary leadership position against the incumbent at the time‚ Athol Trollip. Zille says she was wrong to throw her weight behind Mazibuko at the time. She suggested that‚ Mazibuko — who was 31 when she won the parliamentary leadership race in 2011 — might have been too young and inexperienced for the position.
Zille states in her book that the race for the parliamentary leadership position was “divisive” from the outset and there was “blood on the floor before a single vote had been cast”.
Zille suggests in the book that as soon as Mazibuko took over as leader of the DA in parliament‚ two centres of power were created. Mazibuko erected a “Berlin Wall” between the office of party leader and that of the leader in parliament. Among other changes‚ Mazibuko cancelled the practice of joint press conferences by the party and parliamentary leaders‚ and refused to share an office with Zille in parliament.
“Looking back I had to make an effort to diversify the leadership of the party‚ but I got it wrong twice‚” Zille said at the press club‚ referring also to the disastrous attempt to merge the DA and Mamphela Ramphele’s Agang.
“But we have now got it right (with Mmusi Maimane)‚” Zille said.
She admits in her book that the decision to place Ramphele as the DA’s presidential candidate in 2014 was “one of my biggest mistakes” and says that that an unnamed funder would have donated a massive amount of cash to a DA outfit led by Ramphele.
At some point during the negotiations‚ the DA was open to renaming itself “The Democrats” with Ramphele as leader. In 2014‚ following the collapse of the planned merger between the two parties‚ Zille said that many donors had wanted the two parties to join forces to become a formidable force against the ruling African National Congress (ANC).
Zille said it would have been impossible to meet Ramphele’s demand that she lead Agang and be the DA’s presidential candidate at the same time.
- TMG Digital/BDlive
Mazibuko can still play a major role in SA politics‚ says Zille
Western Cape Premier and former DA leader Helen Zille says the party’s former parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko can still play a major role in SA politics.
Speaking at the Cape Town press club during the launch of her autobiography titled Not Without a Fight‚ Zille said that Mazibuko — who controversially left her position in the party in 2014 and is currently a resident fellow of the Harvard Institute of Politics in the US — can still play a key role within the DA going forward.
“Yes (she can still play a role)...Lindiwe is one of the most talented‚ able and articulate brains in South Africa‚” Zille said.
In her book‚ Zille discusses at length her decision to back Mazibuko for the parliamentary leadership position against the incumbent at the time‚ Athol Trollip. Zille says she was wrong to throw her weight behind Mazibuko at the time. She suggested that‚ Mazibuko — who was 31 when she won the parliamentary leadership race in 2011 — might have been too young and inexperienced for the position.
Zille states in her book that the race for the parliamentary leadership position was “divisive” from the outset and there was “blood on the floor before a single vote had been cast”.
Zille suggests in the book that as soon as Mazibuko took over as leader of the DA in parliament‚ two centres of power were created. Mazibuko erected a “Berlin Wall” between the office of party leader and that of the leader in parliament. Among other changes‚ Mazibuko cancelled the practice of joint press conferences by the party and parliamentary leaders‚ and refused to share an office with Zille in parliament.
“Looking back I had to make an effort to diversify the leadership of the party‚ but I got it wrong twice‚” Zille said at the press club‚ referring also to the disastrous attempt to merge the DA and Mamphela Ramphele’s Agang.
“But we have now got it right (with Mmusi Maimane)‚” Zille said.
She admits in her book that the decision to place Ramphele as the DA’s presidential candidate in 2014 was “one of my biggest mistakes” and says that that an unnamed funder would have donated a massive amount of cash to a DA outfit led by Ramphele.
At some point during the negotiations‚ the DA was open to renaming itself “The Democrats” with Ramphele as leader. In 2014‚ following the collapse of the planned merger between the two parties‚ Zille said that many donors had wanted the two parties to join forces to become a formidable force against the ruling African National Congress (ANC).
Zille said it would have been impossible to meet Ramphele’s demand that she lead Agang and be the DA’s presidential candidate at the same time.
- TMG Digital/BDlive
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