OPINION | Brink's removal stark reminder of DA's Struggles with black voters

The recent removal of Cilliers Brink as the mayor of the City of Tshwane should serve as a stark reminder that South Africans are still not ready to be led by white individuals in key positions of power.

Given our country's painful history of colonialism and apartheid, it is understandable that many black South Africans remain uncomfortable with white-dominated political parties such as the DA or Freedom Front Plus.

Brink's removal was not due to incompetence or mismanagement. Instead, his ousting was driven by discomfort among black townships, workers' unions, and ActionSA, who opposed having a white mayor presiding over a predominantly black metro. This situation highlights the racial sensitivities that continue to permeate SA politics.

The mass resignation and marginalisation of prominent black leaders within the DA – including Mmusi Maimane, Herman Mashaba, Lindiwe Mazibuko, and Bongani Baloyi – severely hindered the party's potential to grow among the black population.

The DA must now face the reality of race in SA's political landscape, where many black citizens are not yet ready to be governed by white leaders. Resistance from some ANC members and its alliance partners further demonstrates the deep-rooted reluctance to accept DA leadership in black-majority regions.

Though the DA is not exclusively a white-led party, it fails to acknowledge the systemic injustices that have disadvantaged black people. The poverty, marginalisation, and dispossession of black South Africans were not self-inflicted. These are the direct consequences of colonialism, beginning with the arrival of settlers in 1652, and we have barely begun to address these historical wrongs.

The black electorate that supports the DA is primarily middle class and disillusioned with the ANC's mismanagement. However, this does not mean that the DA is perceived as the ideal party.

In fact, the absence of a credible black liberal party to represent the growing black middle class has left a void in the political landscape.

Brink’s removal serves as a reminder of how white representatives in black-majority areas face hostility from local institutions, black-dominated workers' unions, and communities that have been loyal to the ANC and EFF. If the DA seeks to govern outside the Western Cape, it must understand that the majority of the population it intends to lead is black.

The party needs to actively include black leaders in senior positions. The treatment of Mashaba and Mpho Phalatse, both of whom left the party after facing internal struggles, shows the DA's inability to retain black leadership.

Whether we like it or not, race continues to play a significant role in SA politics. Figures like Jacob Zuma and Julius Malema have built political careers by exploiting racial divisions, and this strategy will persist for many decades as a consequence of our political history. The DA cannot afford to ignore these realities.

Take, for example, Solly Msimanga, a former City of Tshwane mayor, who resigned to focus on his Gauteng premiership candidacy. His political career has since stagnated, and he remains relatively uninfluential within the party.

With fewer influential black leaders, the DA faces an uphill battle in penetrating townships and rural areas. The party’s support base has become largely confined to the black middle class living in affluent suburbs in Johannesburg, Tshwane, or Ekurhuleni. It is unlikely that the DA could win a ward in places like Soshanguve, Soweto, or Katlehong, as it struggles to understand and address the concerns of black voters.

Looking ahead to the upcoming elections, the DA’s performance in the grand coalition government will likely fail to bring about significant change in the lives of the black majority. 

The party, representing mainly white and business interests, does not resonate with the black, poor majority. Instead, new black liberal parties such as ActionSA, Rise Mzansi, and Bosa, as well as others that will emerge, offer potential alternatives.

The growth of these parties will undoubtedly affect the DA’s prospects, especially as they provide a political home for black voters who feel disconnected from the DA's agenda.

• Mokgatlhe is a researcher and political commentator