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{Infobox political party
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{Infobox political party
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{{Infobox political party
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{{Infobox political party
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{{Infobox political party
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{{Infobox political party
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Helen ZilleHelen Zille is the Premier of the Western Cape, a member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, leader of South Africa's opposition Democratic Alliance political party, and a former Mayor of Cape Town.Zille is a former journalist and anti-apartheid activist, and famously exposed the truth...
|chairperson =
Wilmot JamesProfessor Wilmot Godfrey James MP is a noted South African academic-turned-politician, who serves as the country's Shadow Minister of Basic Education and as a Member of Parliament and Federal Chairperson for the opposition Democratic Alliance...
|president =
|secretary_general =
|spokesperson =
Lindiwe Mazibuko
|founder =
|leader1_title = Federal Council Chairperson
|leader1_name =
James SelfeJames Selfe is a South African politician, currently a Member of Parliament for the opposition Democratic Alliance, and the party's Federal Executive Chairperson...
|leader2_title = Parliamentary Leader
|leader2_name =
Lindiwe Mazibuko
|leader5_title = Founders
|leader5_name = {{collapsible list|
Helen SuzmanHelen Suzman, DBE was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician.-Biography:Helen Suzman, a life-long citizen of South Africa, was born as Helen Gavronsky in 1917 to Jewish immigrants....
,
Harry SchwarzHarry Heinz Schwarz was a South African lawyer, statesman and long-time political opposition leader against apartheid, who eventually served as the South African ambassador to the United States during the country’s transition to representative democracy.Schwarz rose from the childhood poverty he...
,
Zach de BeerZacharias Johannes de Beer was a liberal Afrikaner South African politician and businessman...
,
Jan SteytlerJan van Aswegen Steytler was a liberal South African politician and the first leader of the Progressive Party . He was born in Burgersdorp, in the then Cape Province now Eastern Cape Province.-Background:...
,
Colin EglinColin Wells Eglin is a South African politician who is best known for having served as national leader of the opposition from 1977–79 and 1986-87...
,
Harry LawrenceHarry Gordon Lawrence was a South African politician.Harry Lawrence was on the liberal wing of the United Party. He was the most senior of the MPs who broke away and founded the Progressive Party in 1959....
,
Clive van RyneveldClive Berrange van Ryneveld is a former South African cricketer who played in nineteen Tests from 1951 to 1958. He is the oldest living South African cricket captain....
, Boris Wilson, Owen Townley-Williams, Ray Swart, John Cope, Walter Stanford and Ronald Butcher}}
|slogan = One Nation, One Future
|founded = {{Start date|2000|06|24|df=y}}
|dissolved =
|merger =
|split =
|predecessor =
Democratic PartyThe Democratic Party was the name of the South African political party now called the Democratic Alliance . Although the Democratic Party name dates from 1989, the party existed under other labels throughout the Apartheid years, when it was the Parliamentary opposition to the ruling National...
|merged =
|successor =
|headquarters = {{collapsible list|title=Address|2nd Floor, Theba Hosken House, c/o Breda and Mill Streets,
Cape TownCape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
,
Western CapeThe Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
}}
|newspaper =
|student_wing = DA Students Organisation
|youth_wing = DA Youth
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Social liberalismSocial liberalism is the belief that liberalism should include social justice. It differs from classical liberalism in that it believes the legitimate role of the state includes addressing economic and social issues such as unemployment, health care, and education while simultaneously expanding...
,
Liberal democracyLiberal democracy, also known as constitutional democracy, is a common form of representative democracy. According to the principles of liberal democracy, elections should be free and fair, and the political process should be competitive...
,
CentrismIn politics, centrism is the ideal or the practice of promoting policies that lie different from the standard political left and political right. Most commonly, this is visualized as part of the one-dimensional political spectrum of left-right politics, with centrism landing in the middle between...
|position =
Fiscal: CenterIn politics, centrism is the ideal or the practice of promoting policies that lie different from the standard political left and political right. Most commonly, this is visualized as part of the one-dimensional political spectrum of left-right politics, with centrism landing in the middle between...
Social: Center-left and Center-right
|religion =
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|international =
Liberal InternationalLiberal International is a political international federation for liberal parties. Its headquarters is located at 1 Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2HD within the National Liberal Club. It was founded in Oxford in 1947, and has become the pre-eminent network for liberal parties and for the...
|affiliation1_title = Continental affiliation
|affiliation1 =
Africa Liberal NetworkThe Africa Liberal Network is an organization composed of 27 political parties from 21 African countries, and is an associated organisation of Liberal International, the political family to which Liberal Democratic parties belong...
|colours = Blue
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|seats1_title = National Assembly seats
|seats1 = {{Infobox political party/seats|67|400|hex={{{{PAGENAME}}/meta/color}}}}
|seats2_title =
NCOPThe National Council of Provinces is the upper house of the Parliament of South Africa under the constitution which came into full effect in 1997...
seats
|seats2 = {{Infobox political party/seats|13|90|hex={{{{PAGENAME}}/meta/color}}}}
|seats3_title = NCOP delegations
|seats3 = {{Infobox political party/seats|1|9|hex={{{{PAGENAME}}/meta/color}}}}
|seats4_title =
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|website = {{URL|www.da.org.za}}
|country = South Africa
|footnotes =
}}
{{Politics of South Africa}}
The
Democratic Alliance (
DA) is a
South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n
political partyA political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
, the governing party in the
Western CapeThe Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
province, and the official opposition to the ruling
African National CongressThe African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
(ANC). The party traces its roots to the
anti-apartheid movementAnti-Apartheid Movement , originally known as the Boycott Movement, was a British organization that was at the center of the international movement opposing South Africa's system of apartheid and supporting South Africa's Blacks....
of the 1970s and 1980s, during which time it was known variously as the
Progressive Party, the
Progressive Reform Party, and the
Progressive Federal Party. During this time, the party featured prominent
anti-Apartheid activistsAnti-Apartheid Movement , originally known as the Boycott Movement, was a British organization that was at the center of the international movement opposing South Africa's system of apartheid and supporting South Africa's Blacks....
such as
Helen SuzmanHelen Suzman, DBE was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician.-Biography:Helen Suzman, a life-long citizen of South Africa, was born as Helen Gavronsky in 1917 to Jewish immigrants....
,
Colin EglinColin Wells Eglin is a South African politician who is best known for having served as national leader of the opposition from 1977–79 and 1986-87...
,
Harry SchwarzHarry Heinz Schwarz was a South African lawyer, statesman and long-time political opposition leader against apartheid, who eventually served as the South African ambassador to the United States during the country’s transition to representative democracy.Schwarz rose from the childhood poverty he...
and
Frederik van Zyl SlabbertFrederik van Zyl Slabbert was a South African political analyst, businessman and politician. He is best known for having been the leader of the official opposition — the Progressive Federal Party — in the House of Assembly from 1979 to 1986.-Early life, education and academic career:Born in...
. During the 1990s the party was known as the
Democratic Party, but was renamed to the
Democratic Alliance, during a short-lived alliance with the
New National Party (NNP) in 2000 - the NNP subsequently left to join the ANC. More recently, the party merged with the
Independent Democrats, but retained its existing name.
The present leader of the Democratic Alliance is former
Cape Town mayorThe Mayor of Cape Town is the head of the local government of Cape Town, South Africa; currently that government takes the form of the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality. In the past, the position of Mayor has varied between that of an executive mayor actively governing the city and that...
and Premier of the Western Cape
Helen ZilleHelen Zille is the Premier of the Western Cape, a member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, leader of South Africa's opposition Democratic Alliance political party, and a former Mayor of Cape Town.Zille is a former journalist and anti-apartheid activist, and famously exposed the truth...
, who succeeded
Tony LeonAnthony James "Tony" Leon is a South African politician who served as leader of the opposition from 1999-2007 as leader of the Democratic Alliance. Although still a member of the DA, he currently serves as the South African Ambassador to Argentina under the ANC government.-Early life:Leon grew up...
in May 2006 and won the title of
World MayorWorld Mayor is a biennial award organized by The City Mayors Foundation since 2004. It intends to raise the profile of mayors worldwide, as well as honour those who have served their communities well and who have contributed to the well-being of cities, nationally and internationally...
in 2008, opted against moving to the
National AssemblyThe National Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of South Africa, located in Cape Town, Western Cape Province. It consists of no fewer than 350 and no more than 400 members...
, where the party is instead led by
Lindiwe Mazibuko.
Mazibuko leads a parliamentary
caucusA caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
of 77 members—67 in the
National AssemblyThe National Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of South Africa, located in Cape Town, Western Cape Province. It consists of no fewer than 350 and no more than 400 members...
, 10 in the
National Council of ProvincesThe National Council of Provinces is the upper house of the Parliament of South Africa under the constitution which came into full effect in 1997...
—who also make up the
Official Opposition Shadow CabinetSouth Africa's Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet consists of Members of the National Assembly who scrutinise their corresponding office holders in the executive branch of government and develop alternative policies for their respective portfolios...
. The Democratic Alliance's federal chairperson is
Dr. Wilmot JamesProfessor Wilmot Godfrey James MP is a noted South African academic-turned-politician, who serves as the country's Shadow Minister of Basic Education and as a Member of Parliament and Federal Chairperson for the opposition Democratic Alliance...
, the chairperson of the party's federal executive is
James SelfeJames Selfe is a South African politician, currently a Member of Parliament for the opposition Democratic Alliance, and the party's Federal Executive Chairperson...
and
Lindiwe Mazibuko is the DA's national spokesperson. As of July 2010,
Makashule GanaMakashule Gana is the Democratic Alliance Youth Leader, and a DA councillor in the City of Johannesburg. He holds a BSc degree and is currently registered for a Post Graduate Diploma in Management with Wits Business School.- Early Childhood and Family :...
is the DA's Youth Leader, and
Mbali NtuliMbali Ntuli is the chairperson of the Democratic Alliance Youth, the youth party of South Africa's official opposition party. She was elected to this position in 2010.-Early life and education:...
is the DA Youth Chairperson.
Jonathan MoakesJonathan Moakes is a South African political administrator and strategist, currently working as the Chief Executive Officer of South Africa's opposition Democratic Alliance.-Background:...
is the party's CEO.
The DA is broadly centrist, though it has been attributed both centre-left and centre-right policies. The party is a member of
Liberal InternationalLiberal International is a political international federation for liberal parties. Its headquarters is located at 1 Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2HD within the National Liberal Club. It was founded in Oxford in 1947, and has become the pre-eminent network for liberal parties and for the...
and the
Africa Liberal NetworkThe Africa Liberal Network is an organization composed of 27 political parties from 21 African countries, and is an associated organisation of Liberal International, the political family to which Liberal Democratic parties belong...
.
History
{{Main|History of the Democratic Alliance (South Africa)}}
Although the Democratic Alliance in its present form is fairly new, its roots can be traced far back in South African political history, through a complex sequence of splits and mergers—starting with the creation of a
South African PartyThe South African Party was a political party that existed in the Union of South Africa from 1911 to 1934.-History:The outline and foundation for the party was realized after the election of a 'South African party' in the 1910 South African general election under the leadership of Louis Botha...
in 1910. The modern day Democratic Alliance is in large part a product of the progressive
anti-Apartheid movementAnti-Apartheid Movement , originally known as the Boycott Movement, was a British organization that was at the center of the international movement opposing South Africa's system of apartheid and supporting South Africa's Blacks....
of the 1970s and 1980s, during which time it was known variously as the
Progressive Party and
Reform Party, the
Progressive Reform Party, and the
Progressive Federal Party. During that time, the party was led by some of the most celebrated anti-apartheid activists, including Jan Steytler,
Helen SuzmanHelen Suzman, DBE was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician.-Biography:Helen Suzman, a life-long citizen of South Africa, was born as Helen Gavronsky in 1917 to Jewish immigrants....
,
Zach de BeerZacharias Johannes de Beer was a liberal Afrikaner South African politician and businessman...
,
Colin EglinColin Wells Eglin is a South African politician who is best known for having served as national leader of the opposition from 1977–79 and 1986-87...
,
Frederik van Zyl SlabbertFrederik van Zyl Slabbert was a South African political analyst, businessman and politician. He is best known for having been the leader of the official opposition — the Progressive Federal Party — in the House of Assembly from 1979 to 1986.-Early life, education and academic career:Born in...
and
Harry SchwarzHarry Heinz Schwarz was a South African lawyer, statesman and long-time political opposition leader against apartheid, who eventually served as the South African ambassador to the United States during the country’s transition to representative democracy.Schwarz rose from the childhood poverty he...
. For most of the 1990s, the party was known as the
Democratic PartyThe Democratic Party was the name of the South African political party now called the Democratic Alliance . Although the Democratic Party name dates from 1989, the party existed under other labels throughout the Apartheid years, when it was the Parliamentary opposition to the ruling National...
(DP), during which time it ascended to the status of official opposition under the leadership of
Tony LeonAnthony James "Tony" Leon is a South African politician who served as leader of the opposition from 1999-2007 as leader of the Democratic Alliance. Although still a member of the DA, he currently serves as the South African Ambassador to Argentina under the ANC government.-Early life:Leon grew up...
.
In 2000, the DP became the Democratic Alliance (DA) after merging with the
New National Party. Though the alliance was short-lived—the NNP formed a new alliance with the
African National CongressThe African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
the following year—the DA secured 22% of the vote in the 2000 local government elections and an outright majority in the Cape Town unicity.
Peter MaraisPeter Marais is a South African politician who participated in the Tricameral Parliament and became the Mayor of Cape Town after the 2000 election and later Premier of the Western Cape province....
became mayor of Cape Town, and the DA also took control of 20 local municipalities in the Western Cape. Following the NNP's defections, the party subsequently lost control of both Cape Town and the Western Cape province to the ANC. However, they regained control of Cape Town in the 2006 Local Government Elections—the only Metropolitan Council in South Africa not controlled by the ANC.
Helen ZilleHelen Zille is the Premier of the Western Cape, a member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, leader of South Africa's opposition Democratic Alliance political party, and a former Mayor of Cape Town.Zille is a former journalist and anti-apartheid activist, and famously exposed the truth...
was elected executive mayor on 15 March 2006 and formed a coalition with six smaller parties as the DA failed to win an outright majority in the council. Zille then succeeded Leon as leader of the party in May, after a landslide leadership victory. Zille's subsequent successes as mayor led to her being awarded the 2008 World Mayor Prize.
As Zille opted to remain as mayor of Cape Town as well as adopt the position of leader of the DA, it was decided that another DA member would be required to represent Zille and the party in the National Assembly. Following a vote which was mainly contested between former NNP MP, Tertius Delport and
Sandra BothaCelia-Sandra Botha is a South African politician, who serves as South Africa's Ambassador to the Czech Republic. She is the former Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, on behalf of the Democratic Alliance and its leader, Helen Zille...
, Botha triumphed. Botha served as parliamentary leader until announcing her retirement from party politics in January 2009. Following the 2009 general elections, the vacant parliamentary leadership post was won by
Eastern CapeThe Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are Port Elizabeth and East London. It was formed in 1994 out of the "independent" Xhosa homelands of Transkei and Ciskei, together with the eastern portion of the Cape Province...
provincial leader
Athol TrollipAthol Trollip is a South African politician, who has served as member of the National Assembly for the opposition Democratic Alliance . He served as Parliamentary leader of the opposition between 2009 and 2011, on behalf of the DA and its leader, Helen Zille...
, who narrowly defeated party CEO
Ryan CoetzeeRyan Coetzee is a prominent South African politician and political strategist, and past CEO of the country's official opposition, the Democratic Alliance. He was a Member of Parliament between 2004 and 2009, and headed up his party's general election campaigns in 2004 and 2009...
in the vote.
Re-launch
On 15 November 2008, the DA convened a meeting on
Constitution HillThe Constitution Hill precinct, located at the western end of the suburb Hillbrow in Johannesburg, is the seat of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. The first court session in the new building at this location was held in February 2004.-History:...
to re-launch the party as one which no longer acts as an opposition but offers voters another choice for government. Along with this, the party also introduced a new logo, featuring a rising sun over the colours of the South African flag and a new slogan, "One Nation, One Future". This is in line with the new strategy the party is implementing with regard to a non-racial South Africa where everyone has equal opportunities. The logo bears striking similarities to the
campaign logoThe Obama logo was the flagship symbol of Barack Obama's presidential campaign. The design became one of the most recognized political brand logos during the 2008 U.S...
of then-U.S. President-elect
Barack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, who had been elected President days before the re-launch. Obama was the first
person of African descentAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
to become president-elect and President of the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Party leader Helen Zille said the new DA would be “more reflective of our rich racial, linguistic and cultural heritage”. Zille has emphasised that she wants the party to be a "party for all the people" and not decline into a "shrinking, irrelevant minority".
Ideology and principles
The Democratic Alliance sums up its political philosophy as the belief in an "Open Opportunity Society for All". Party leader Helen Zille has argued that this stands in direct contrast to the ruling ANC's approach to governance, which she maintains has led to a "closed, crony society for some". This formed the basis of the philosophy underlying the party's 2009 Election Manifesto, which seeks to build a society by linking outcomes to "opportunity, effort and ability":
{{Cquote|In such a society, everybody has the opportunities and the space to shape their own lives, improve their skills and follow their dreams. The government’s key role is to expand and promote equal opportunities for all. People are not held back by arbitrary criteria such as gender, religion, or colour, or the prejudice of those in power. In the open, opportunity society, outcomes are linked to opportunity, effort and ability, not special favours dispensed by a ruling clique in the ruling party.}}
The Democratic Alliance's historical roots are broadly liberal-democratic. Between 1961 and 1974, the party's predecessor, the
Progressive PartyThe Progressive Party was a liberal party in South Africa that opposed the ruling National Party's policies of apartheid, and championed the Rule of Law. For years its only member of parliament was Helen Suzman...
, was represented in parliament by a single MP,
Helen SuzmanHelen Suzman, DBE was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician.-Biography:Helen Suzman, a life-long citizen of South Africa, was born as Helen Gavronsky in 1917 to Jewish immigrants....
, whose vocal opposition to racial discrimination and the apartheid regime led to the party being accused frequently of supporting a
leftistIn politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
agenda.
During the 1990s, the party remained associated with liberal values, though party leader
Tony LeonAnthony James "Tony" Leon is a South African politician who served as leader of the opposition from 1999-2007 as leader of the Democratic Alliance. Although still a member of the DA, he currently serves as the South African Ambassador to Argentina under the ANC government.-Early life:Leon grew up...
's support for the reintroduction of the death penalty, the party's controversial 1999 campaign slogan "Fight Back", and the short-lived alliance with the
right-wingIn politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
New National Party fuelled criticisms of the party from the left. After Helen Zille's victory in the party's 2006 leadership race, and the ANC's nomination of
populistPopulism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
candidate
Jacob ZumaJacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma is the President of South Africa, elected by parliament following his party's victory in the 2009 general election....
for the presidency, the DA has attempted to reposition itself as a mainstream alternative to the ANC as it shifts away from the free market and anti-racialism. The party's economic policy is also broadly centrist, and supports a mix of high spending on crucial social services such as education and health care, a basic income grant, and a strong regulatory framework, with more "moderate" policies such as a lower budget deficit and a deregulated labour market. At her 2009 State of the Province speech, party leader Zille described her party's economic policy as pragmatic:
{{Cquote|"We believe the state has a crucial role to play in socio-economic development. We are not free market fundamentalists. By the same token we do not believe that a state, with limited capacity, should over-reach itself."}}
Crime
The Democratic Alliance has targeted the ruling ANC's performance on tackling crime and corruption. In the party's crime plan, "Conquering Fear, Commanding Hope", the DA committed themselves to increasing the number of police officers to 250,000. This is 60,000 more than the government's own target. The party also announced plans to employ 30,000 additional detectives and forensics experts and 500 more prosecutors, in order to reduce court backlogs, and establish a Directorate for Victims of Crime, which would provide funding and support for crime victims.
In addition, the party announced its support for a prison labour programme, which would put prisoners to work in various community upliftment programmes. The proposal was criticised by labour unions, who believed it was unethical and would result in labour job losses.
In late 2008 and early 2009, the DA took a stand against the
South African Police ServiceThe South African Police Service is the national police force of the Republic of South Africa. Its 1116 police stations in South Africa are divided according to the provincial borders, and a Provincial Commissioner is appointed in each province...
's VIP Protection Unit, after several officers in the unit were charged with serious criminal offences. The party later released documentation of the unit's poor disciplinary record, and claimed its divisional commander had himself dodged serious criminal charges.
The DA also strongly opposed the disbandment of the
ScorpionsThe Directorate of Special Operations was a multidisciplinary agency that investigated and prosecuted organised crime and corruption. It was a unit of The National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa. Its staff of 536 consisted of some of the best police, financial, forensic and intelligence...
crime investigation unit, and similar efforts to centralise the police service such as the nationwide disbandment of specialised Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) units.
Social development
Central to the Democratic Alliance's social development policy, "Breaking the Cycle of Poverty", is a Basic Income Grant, which would provide a monthly transfer of R110 to all adults earning less than R46,000 per year. The party also supports legislation that would require the legal guardians of children living in poverty to ensure that their child attends 85 percent of school classes, and undergoes routine health checkups.
In addition, to aid with youth development skills, the party proposed a R6000 opportunity voucher or twelve month community service programme to all high school matriculants. The party also supports a universal old age pension, and the abolishment of pension means tests.
Education
The DA's education programme, "Preparing for Success", focuses on providing adequate physical and human resources to underperforming schools. Included in this proposal would be guaranteed access to a core minimum of resources for each school, proper state school nutrition schemes for grade 1-12 learners, and the introduction of measures to train 30,000 additional teachers per year. The DA continues to support the introduction of new performance targets for teachers and schools, and also advocates a per-child wage subsidy, and a national network of community-based early childhood education centres.
Health
The DA's "Quality Care for All" programme is focused on tackling the country's high HIV/AIDS infection rate. Included in these plans is an increase in the number of clinics offering HIV testing and measures to provide all HIV-positive women with
Nevirapine. The party's health policy also plans to devote more resources to vaccinations against common childhood illnesses.
The party also advocates creating a transparent and competitive health sector, to boost service delivery and encourage health care practitioners to remain in the country.
Economy
The party’s economic policy aims to create a society in which all South Africans enjoy both the fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, and the opportunities to take advantage of those freedoms. In its 2010 Federal Congress booklet, 'The Open Opportunity Society for All', the party describes this society in the following terms:
{{Cquote|Opportunity is the vehicle with which people are empowered to live their lives, pursue their dreams and develop their full potential. And the DA believes that the role of the government is to provide every citizen with a minimum basic standard of quality services and resources with which to be able to do so - a framework for choice... In the opportunity society, a young girl from a dusty township must have a fair chance of overcoming poverty and developing her talents by matching her opportunities with hard work and personal responsibility. It must be possible for a young boy, living in a child-headed household in a poverty-stricken rural village, to become a captain of industry. That is what the opportunity society means.}}
The DA's economic policy therefore advocates a mixed-economy approach, where the state is involved in the economy only to the extent that it can expand opportunity and choice. In its 2009 election manifesto, the party states:
{{Cquote|We see a future in which the government and the private sector work together in partnership to grow an economy ripe with opportunities for all South Africans, most especially for the millions of unemployed South Africans who have been denied access to jobs and life changing opportunities.}}
The manifesto includes various proposals detailing how a Democratic Alliance government would manage the economy and facilitate growth. The majority of the interventions suggested by the party are aimed at creating an atmosphere conducive to job creation and greater foreign direct investment:
Cutting the cost of doing business and creating jobs
The party has suggested measures to make South Africa's labour market more amenable to job creation. The party has also suggested several targeted interventions to allow for higher employment, especially amongst the youth. These interventions include a wage subsidy programme to reduce the cost of hiring first-time workers and a nationwide "opportunity voucher" for school leavers. This would amount to an annual subsidy for every school-leaver of up to R2000 for three years. The money could be used to finance studies, training or micro-enterprises.
Fiscal Policy
The party has committed itself to a counter-cyclical fiscal policy approach. This is evident in the party's previous alternative budget frameworks, with both alternative budgets posting deficits. The party defended this stance by arguing that increased spending was necessary to help the economy out of
recessionIn economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction, a general slowdown in economic activity. During recessions, many macroeconomic indicators vary in a similar way...
. Other fiscal interventions have included a proposed scrapping of
value added taxA value added tax or value-added tax is a form of consumption tax. From the perspective of the buyer, it is a tax on the purchase price. From that of the seller, it is a tax only on the "value added" to a product, material or service, from an accounting point of view, by this stage of its...
(VAT) on books and tax rebates for crime prevention expenditure by businesses.
Monetary Policy
The party has committed itself to an inflation-targeting
monetary policyMonetary policy is the process by which the monetary authority of a country controls the supply of money, often targeting a rate of interest for the purpose of promoting economic growth and stability. The official goals usually include relatively stable prices and low unemployment...
regime similar to that of the currently-ruling
African National CongressThe African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
(ANC) government. It has also repeatedly made statements reaffirming its support and commitment for reserve bank instrument independence. The party has also suggested interventions to incentivize savings by reducing taxes on income earned from fixed deposits that are held for longer than twelve months. The party states that this would help South Africa to boost its domestic savings rate to enable the country to invest in projects that will provide additional job opportunities.
Broad-Based Economic Empowerment
The party has rejected the ANC’s approach to
Black Economic EmpowermentBlack Economic Empowerment is a programme launched by the South African government to redress the inequalities of Apartheid by giving previously disadvantaged groups economic opportunities previously not available to them...
, with party leader, Helen Zille, making the case that the current set of policies have only served to enrich a small elite of politically-connected businessmen. The party proposed an alternative it calls broad-based economic empowerment, which would provide for targeted interventions focusing on skills training and socio-economic investment instead of ownership targets. The party believes that this approach will give a broader group of black South Africans an opportunity to compete and partake in the economy, as opposed to the relatively small number of people it says are currently being advantaged by BEE deals.
Industrial Policy
The party advocates an active industrial policy that allow the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) to co-ordinate industrial policy. Additionally it would also set up a sovereign venture capital fund to help support innovation in key industries. The DA also supports the creation of Industrial Development Zones and Export Processing Zones. The party suggests that by relaxing certain regulations in these zones, manufacturers and exporters would be able to grow faster and employ more people. This fits into the party's broader vision of growing the economy by cutting red tape and regulations it claims is holding back South Africa's economic growth.
Land
The DA's "Land of Opportunity" programme supports the 'willing buyer, willing seller' principle, though it also allows for expropriation for reform purposes in certain limited circumstances. The party has been critical of the resources that government has allocated to land reform, claiming that government has not been sufficiently active in buying up land that comes onto the market. Though the DA believes this could speed up the pace of land reform, their policies have been vocally criticised by members of the Tripartite Alliance. Land Affairs Minister
Thoko DidizaAngela Thoko Didiza is a South African politician. She became Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs on 17 June 1999 and is currently the Minister of Public Works....
accused the DA of attempting to "stifle" land reform, while the
South African Communist PartySouth African Communist Party is a political party in South Africa. It was founded in 1921 as the Communist Party of South Africa by the joining together of the International Socialist League and others under the leadership of Willam H...
contended that the DA's policies overly favoured big business.
Environment and energy
In the build up to the 2009 elections, the DA announced it would create a new Ministry of Energy and Climate Change, to ensure improved integrated energy planning in order to deal with South Africa's growing carbon dioxide emissions. The DA's 2009 environment and energy plan, "In Trust for the Nation" also proposes new measures to increase energy efficiency, and the introduction of sectoral carbon emission targets.
The DA also proposes reforms to the energy sector that would see
Eskom'sEskom is a South African electricity public utility, established in 1923 as the Electricity Supply Commission by the government of South Africa in terms of the Electricity Act . It was also known by its Afrikaans name Elektrisiteitsvoorsieningskommissie . The two acronyms were combined in 1986 and...
designation as the single buyer of electricity revoked, thereby attracting greater investment and a more efficient energy market.
Electoral reform
The DA broadly supports reforms recommended by
Frederik van Zyl SlabbertFrederik van Zyl Slabbert was a South African political analyst, businessman and politician. He is best known for having been the leader of the official opposition — the Progressive Federal Party — in the House of Assembly from 1979 to 1986.-Early life, education and academic career:Born in...
's electoral reform task-team, that would see the current party list voting system replaced by a 75% constituency-based/25%
proportional representationProportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
-based electoral system that would apply at national and provincial level. The DA's governance policy Promoting Open Opportunity Governance also makes allowance for the direct election of the president, which would give voters a more direct link to the executive branch.
The party is also currently lobbying for voting rights for South African citizens living abroad. Party leader Zille raised the issue with the
Independent Electoral CommissionThe Independent Electoral Commission is South Africa's independent election management body. It manages elections to the National Assembly, the provincial legislatures and the municipal councils....
(IEC) chairman, Brigalia Bam. Zille has proposed that franchise be extended to overseas-based South Africans beyond Section 33(1)(e) of the Electoral Act, which currently limits overseas voting to South African citizens abroad temporarily, for purposes of a holiday, a business trip, attending a tertiary institution, or participating in an international sports event. The DA believe voting rights should be extended to include all South African citizens who are living and working abroad, many of whom intend returning.
In January 2008 the IEC indicated that they would not take measures to allow citizens living abroad to vote in the 2009 national and provincial elections. On 23 January 2009, the DA lodged an application at the
Western Cape High CourtThe Western Cape High Court is one of the High Courts of South Africa. It is located in Cape Town and has general jurisdiction over the Western Cape province...
to have section 33(1)(e) of the Electoral Act, which differentiates between the special voting rights of citizens abroad, declared unconstitutional.
Campaign
The Democratic Alliance launched its
2009 General ElectionSouth Africa held national and provincial elections to elect a new National Assembly as well as the provincial legislature in each province on 22 April 2009....
campaign on 31 January 2009, in Soweto, unveiling a campaign slogan, "Vote to Win" at the launch. It released its
manifestoA manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. Manifestos relating to religious belief are generally referred to as creeds. Manifestos may also be life stance-related.-Etymology:...
on 14 February. It was at that stage still finalising its candidates for public office and the positions of premiers, mayors and president.
The party was expected to perform strongly in the
Western CapeThe Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
province, with analysts suggesting it would regain control of the province from the ruling ANC. The ANC's support in the province was on the wane, while the Democratic Alliance had performed well in by-elections in the province leading up to the poll.
The
Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times is a popular South African Sunday newspaper. It has an audited circulation of 504,000 and a weekly readership of 3.2 million, making it the largest weekly newspaper in South Africa. Recently it was involved in exposing a corruption scandal involving the South African government's...
published a poll on 28 September 2008, detailing the strong urban support that the party now holds. The survey of 1,500 city dwellers found that 27 per cent would vote for the ruling ANC, while 26 per cent would vote for the DA and 27 per cent were undecided. The newly-formed
Cope gained less than 1 per cent.
The party projected that it would govern in the Western Cape province—a task made easier by the ANC-COPE split—though it expected to need to form a governing coalition in order to do so. and by late 2008 there was speculation that Zille would run as the DA's candidate for provincial premier. The party anticipates that it will take control of several other major cities and towns in the 2011 local elections, and, with what it terms a "realignment of SA politics", predicts it will take its "winning streak" into the 2014 elections, when it plans to challenge for the mantle of ruling party. It did not, however, rule out its tiny chance of usurping the ANC as ruling party in the 2009 elections. "This year, the DA can win!" Zille told supporters at its campaign launch at the end of January.
The Democratic Alliance's relationship with newly-formed ANC breakaway party Cope has been relatively strong. Cope leader
Mosiuoa LekotaMosiuoa Gerard Patrick Lekota is a South African politician who currently serves as the President and Leader of the Congress of the People since 16 December 2008. Previously, under President Thabo Mbeki, he served in the Cabinet of South Africa as Minister of Defence from 17 June 1999 to 25...
showed a willingness to co-operate with Zille in future, and reports suggested that the two parties might work in tandem to win several provinces in 2009. More recently, however, Zille criticised COPE's internal structures and suggested many of the party's new members were merely
MbekiThabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki is a South African politician who served two terms as the second post-apartheid President of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008. He is also the brother of Moeletsi Mbeki...
loyalists hoping to resurrect defunct political careers.
In the closing stages of the DA's campaign, it launched its "Stop
ZumaJacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma is the President of South Africa, elected by parliament following his party's victory in the 2009 general election....
" drive, which came under considerable criticism in the press—political analysts dubbing the tactic an example of "negative" politics. Zille later retorted, however, that what was really negative was the idea of handing over the right to change the Constitution unilaterally to Jacob Zuma and his "closed, crony network", as they would abuse that right both to enrich themselves and to protect themselves from prosecution. "They have already shown how they will abuse their power," she wrote, "by scrapping the
ScorpionsThe Directorate of Special Operations was a multidisciplinary agency that investigated and prosecuted organised crime and corruption. It was a unit of The National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa. Its staff of 536 consisted of some of the best police, financial, forensic and intelligence...
, firing
Vusi PikoliVusumzi "Vusi" Pikoli is a South African advocate, and the recently fired head of South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority. He is noted for instigating criminal charges against disgraced South African police commissioner Jackie Selebi and ANC president Jacob Zuma...
and securing the withdrawal of charges of 783 counts of
corruptionPolitical corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
against Jacob Zuma."
Performance
The DA produced its best results ever at the polls, scoring almost a million new voters to take its nationwide tally from 1,931,201 to just under 3,000,000, a growth of 50 per cent. This made it the only party in South Africa to have grown in all three of the most recent elections. Thanking supporters the following week, Zille related proudly that the party had achieved all three of its primary objectives: it had kept the ANC below a two-thirds majority (albeit only just), won an outright majority in the Western Cape (the first time any party had done so in post-apartheid South Africa) and significantly improved its standing in parliament, taking twenty more seats in the National Assembly; it thus has now 67 MPs and is to be allocated another ten seats on the
National Council of ProvincesThe National Council of Provinces is the upper house of the Parliament of South Africa under the constitution which came into full effect in 1997...
. It was, indeed, the only party in the entire country to increase rather than lose overall support since the
2004 electionsLegislative elections were held in South Africa on Wednesday, 14 April 2004. The African National Congress of President Thabo Mbeki, which came to power after the end of the apartheid system in 1994, was re-elected with an increased majority....
.
Zille noted that the DA's increased representation in Parliament came largely at the ANC's expense, and that "with 65.9% of the vote and 264 seats in the National Assembly (down from 74.3% and 297 seats), the ANC no longer has the two-thirds majority it needs to change the Constitution unilaterally." She claimed that the decline in the ANC's support base and the concomitant increase in that of her own party was:
{{Cquote|...a direct result of the DA's drive to "Stop Zuma". When we launched that drive, in the final weeks of the campaign, several analysts and commentators cried foul. They accused the DA of "negative" campaigning and—outrageously and illogically—racism. Some said that the ANC would not change the Constitution because it had not done so in the past. They ignored the fact that in the same week we launched our "Stop Zuma" campaign, the government gazetted a
constitutional amendmentA constitutional amendment is a formal change to the text of the written constitution of a nation or state.Most constitutions require that amendments cannot be enacted unless they have passed a special procedure that is more stringent than that required of ordinary legislation...
designed to erode the powers of
municipalitiesMunicipalities in South Africa are a division of local government that lie one level down from provincial government, forming the lowest level of democratically elected government structures in the country. The foundation for this layer of government is set out in Chapter 7 of the Constitution of...
and concentrate even more power at national government level.
Fortunately, the DA does not let analysts dictate our election strategy. If we did, we would never have made the leap from 1.7% of the vote in
1994The South African general election of 1994 was an election held in South Africa to mark the end of apartheid, therefore also the first held with universal adult suffrage. The election was conducted under the direction of the Independent Electoral Commission .Millions queued in lines over a three...
to the 16.7% we have today. The ANC might even have
Julius MalemaJulius Sello Malema is a South African politician, and the former president of the African National Congress Youth League. Malema occupies a notably controversial position in South African public and political life; having risen to prominence with his support for African National Congress...
's much coveted "three-thirds" majority by now.
These are the same analysts who smugly proclaim that the DA is a "white party", despite all the evidence to the contrary: our belief in non-
racialismRacialism is an emphasis on race or racial considerations. Currently, racialism entails a belief in the existence and significance of racial categories, but not necessarily that any absolute hierarchy between the races has been demonstrated by a rigorous and comprehensive scientific process...
, our racially diverse leadership, our multiracial membership and our ongoing efforts to transcend race and enable all South Africans who share our values to give us their support. They fail to explain how a "white party" can win a majority in a province where less than 25% of the population is white. And of course, they never agonise about the fact that the ANC has become a "single race" party.}}
The DA also increased its support in eight of the nine provinces in South Africa, taking its total number of seats in provincial legislatures from 51 in 2004 to 65 in 2009. Zille saw the results as a vindication of the party's statement at the beginning of its campaign that the only two genuine political forces in South Africa were the DA and the ANC, with the latter losing support while the former consistently gained it, and voters refusing to waste their ballots on small, insignificant parties.
Post-election vision
Although ardently opposed to the notion that the DA represents only the white contingent of the South African electorate, Zille conceded that
{{Cquote|[O]ur greatest challenge going forward is to win more support from black South Africans. We will continue to work towards this objective with renewed determination and we will eventually succeed, regardless of what the analysts say.}}
The Western Cape victory, she wrote, gave the party:
{{Cquote|...the opportunity to demonstrate in provincial government the difference that our alternative vision, principles and policies make in practice, for everyone—just as we have demonstrated where we have won at local government level. Winning power in the Western Cape will allow us to show what co-operative governance between local authorities and a province can achieve.}}
She described the party's plans for South Africa's "political realignment" (which began in 2006, when it took Cape Town and other local authorities in the Western Cape, and which it aimed to culminate in 2014 with an outright national majority) as going ahead smoothly. For the time being, a note of congratulation was granted Zuma and the ANC, with an acknowledgement that the people had given it a strong mandate to rule. "We trust that the ANC will not abuse this confidence, and will govern well and in the interests of all South Africans."
Leaders
Leaders of the Democratic Alliance, and its predecessor parties:
|
Entered office |
Left office |
Party name |
| 1 |
Jan Steytler Jan van Aswegen Steytler was a liberal South African politician and the first leader of the Progressive Party . He was born in Burgersdorp, in the then Cape Province now Eastern Cape Province.-Background:...
1 |
November 1959 |
December 1970 |
Progressive Party The Progressive Party was a liberal party in South Africa that opposed the ruling National Party's policies of apartheid, and championed the Rule of Law. For years its only member of parliament was Helen Suzman...
|
| 2 |
Harry Lawrence Harry Gordon Lawrence was a South African politician.Harry Lawrence was on the liberal wing of the United Party. He was the most senior of the MPs who broke away and founded the Progressive Party in 1959....
2 |
December 1970 |
February 1971 |
| 3 |
Harry SchwarzHarry Heinz Schwarz was a South African lawyer, statesman and long-time political opposition leader against apartheid, who eventually served as the South African ambassador to the United States during the country’s transition to representative democracy.Schwarz rose from the childhood poverty he...
3 |
February 1975 |
July 1975 |
| 3 |
Colin Eglin Colin Wells Eglin is a South African politician who is best known for having served as national leader of the opposition from 1977–79 and 1986-87...
4 |
February 1971 |
July 1975 |
| July 1975 |
1977 |
Progressive Reform Party The Progressive Reform Party was a South African party that was formed on 26 July 1975 by the fusion of the Reform Party led by Harry Schwarz and Progressive Party led by Colin Eglin...
|
| 1977 |
1979 |
Progressive Federal Party The Progressive Federal Party was a South African political party formed in 1977. It advocated power-sharing in South Africa through a federal constitution, in place of apartheid...
|
| 4 |
Frederik van Zyl Slabbert Frederik van Zyl Slabbert was a South African political analyst, businessman and politician. He is best known for having been the leader of the official opposition — the Progressive Federal Party — in the House of Assembly from 1979 to 1986.-Early life, education and academic career:Born in...
|
1979 |
1986 |
| 5 |
Colin Eglin |
1986 |
1988 |
| 6 |
Zach de Beer Zacharias Johannes de Beer was a liberal Afrikaner South African politician and businessman...
|
1988 |
1989 |
| 7,8 |
Zach de Beer, Denis Worrall Denis John Worrall is an academic, businessman, and former politician and diplomat. He was South African ambassador to Australia from 1982 to 1984 and then Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1984 to 1987. He resigned his post in order to return to South Africa and form the liberal...
and Wynand MalanWynand Malan is a liberal Afrikaner South African politician.A lawyer, Malan entered politics in the 1977 South African election when he was elected to the South Africa's all white parliament as the National Party MP for Randburg....
5 |
1989 |
1994 |
Democratic Party The Democratic Party was the name of the South African political party now called the Democratic Alliance . Although the Democratic Party name dates from 1989, the party existed under other labels throughout the Apartheid years, when it was the Parliamentary opposition to the ruling National...
|
| 9 |
Tony LeonAnthony James "Tony" Leon is a South African politician who served as leader of the opposition from 1999-2007 as leader of the Democratic Alliance. Although still a member of the DA, he currently serves as the South African Ambassador to Argentina under the ANC government.-Early life:Leon grew up...
|
1994 |
2000 |
| 2000 |
May 2007 |
Democratic Alliance |
| 10 |
Helen ZilleHelen Zille is the Premier of the Western Cape, a member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, leader of South Africa's opposition Democratic Alliance political party, and a former Mayor of Cape Town.Zille is a former journalist and anti-apartheid activist, and famously exposed the truth...
6 |
May 2007 |
present |
- 1 Between 1961 and 1970, Steytler served as party leader from outside Parliament, where Helen Suzman
Helen Suzman, DBE was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician.-Biography:Helen Suzman, a life-long citizen of South Africa, was born as Helen Gavronsky in 1917 to Jewish immigrants....
was the party's sole representative.
- 2 Interim leader.
- 3 Schwarz was leader of the Reform Party that broke away from the United Party and which merged with the Progressive Party. He was not ever leader of the Progressive Party itself, although he became part of the collective leadership of the newly-merged Progressive Reform Party.
- 4 First Progressive Leader of the Opposition in Parliament (from 1977).
- 5 Co-leaders, following the formation of the Democratic Party in 1989.
- 6 Zille, like Steytler and Lawrence, serves as leader from outside of Parliament, where she is represented by a separate Parliamentary Leader - first Sandra Botha
Celia-Sandra Botha is a South African politician, who serves as South Africa's Ambassador to the Czech Republic. She is the former Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, on behalf of the Democratic Alliance and its leader, Helen Zille...
, and then later Athol TrollipAthol Trollip is a South African politician, who has served as member of the National Assembly for the opposition Democratic Alliance . He served as Parliamentary leader of the opposition between 2009 and 2011, on behalf of the DA and its leader, Helen Zille...
.
Parliamentary Leaders
Parliamentary leaders of the Democratic Alliance and its predecessor parties, in the absence of a sitting party leader in Parliament:
|
On behalf of |
Entered office |
Left office |
Party name |
| 1 |
Sandra Botha Celia-Sandra Botha is a South African politician, who serves as South Africa's Ambassador to the Czech Republic. She is the former Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, on behalf of the Democratic Alliance and its leader, Helen Zille...
|
Helen ZilleHelen Zille is the Premier of the Western Cape, a member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, leader of South Africa's opposition Democratic Alliance political party, and a former Mayor of Cape Town.Zille is a former journalist and anti-apartheid activist, and famously exposed the truth...
|
May 2007 |
April 2008 |
Democratic Alliance |
| 2 |
Athol Trollip Athol Trollip is a South African politician, who has served as member of the National Assembly for the opposition Democratic Alliance . He served as Parliamentary leader of the opposition between 2009 and 2011, on behalf of the DA and its leader, Helen Zille...
|
May 2008 |
October 2011 |
| 3 |
Lindiwe Mazibuko |
October 2011 |
Present |
Chairpersons
Federal chairpersons (sometimes referred to as 'national chairpersons') and chairpersons of the party's federal council (sometimes referred to as the party's 'federal executive' or the 'national council'):
| Federal (National) Chairperson |
Years |
Party name |
Chairperson of the Federal Council |
| 1 |
Harry Lawrence Harry Gordon Lawrence was a South African politician.Harry Lawrence was on the liberal wing of the United Party. He was the most senior of the MPs who broke away and founded the Progressive Party in 1959....
|
1959–1963 |
Progressive Party The Progressive Party was a liberal party in South Africa that opposed the ruling National Party's policies of apartheid, and championed the Rule of Law. For years its only member of parliament was Helen Suzman...
|
1 |
Zach de Beer Zacharias Johannes de Beer was a liberal Afrikaner South African politician and businessman...
|
| 1963–1971 |
2 |
Colin Eglin Colin Wells Eglin is a South African politician who is best known for having served as national leader of the opposition from 1977–79 and 1986-87...
|
| 1971–1973 |
3 |
Ray Swart |
| 2 |
Ray Swart |
1973–1975 |
| 1975–1977 |
Progressive Reform Party The Progressive Reform Party was a South African party that was formed on 26 July 1975 by the fusion of the Reform Party led by Harry Schwarz and Progressive Party led by Colin Eglin...
|
4 |
Harry SchwarzHarry Heinz Schwarz was a South African lawyer, statesman and long-time political opposition leader against apartheid, who eventually served as the South African ambassador to the United States during the country’s transition to representative democracy.Schwarz rose from the childhood poverty he...
|
| 1977–1979 |
Progressive Federal Party The Progressive Federal Party was a South African political party formed in 1977. It advocated power-sharing in South Africa through a federal constitution, in place of apartheid...
|
| 3 |
Colin Eglin |
1979–1980 |
5 |
Gordon Waddell Gordon James Barr Waddell was a Scottish rugby union player, and the son of Herbert Waddell. He played for the invitational tourist team, the Barbarians and on two British and Irish Lions tours. In fact he is the only Scottish stand off to be double lion...
|
| 1980–1986 |
6 |
Alex Boraine Dr. Alex Boraine is a South African politician. He was born in Cape Town.Having been ordained as a Methodist minister in 1956, he studied at Rhodes University in South Africa, Oxford University in England, and Drew University in the USA....
|
| 4 |
Peter Gastrow |
1986–1987 |
7 |
Ken Andrew Ken Andrew is a South African politician. He was born in Cape Town and matriculated from Rondebosch Boys' High School as head boy. Andrew studied at the University of Cape Town were he achieved his BSc degree and later a Masters in business administration...
|
| 5 |
Helen Suzman Helen Suzman, DBE was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician.-Biography:Helen Suzman, a life-long citizen of South Africa, was born as Helen Gavronsky in 1917 to Jewish immigrants....
|
1987–1989 |
| 6 |
Tian van der Merwe |
1989–1991 |
Democratic Party The Democratic Party was the name of the South African political party now called the Democratic Alliance . Although the Democratic Party name dates from 1989, the party existed under other labels throughout the Apartheid years, when it was the Parliamentary opposition to the ruling National...
|
8 |
Dave Gant |
| 7 |
Ken Andrew |
1991–1997 |
| 8 |
Errol Moorcroft |
1997–2000 |
9 |
Douglas Gibson |
| 9 |
Joe Seremane Wetshotsile Joseph "Joe" Seremane is a South African politician and federal chairperson of the country's main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance ....
|
2000–2010 |
Democratic Alliance |
10 |
James Selfe James Selfe is a South African politician, currently a Member of Parliament for the opposition Democratic Alliance, and the party's Federal Executive Chairperson...
|
| 10 |
Wilmot James Professor Wilmot Godfrey James MP is a noted South African academic-turned-politician, who serves as the country's Shadow Minister of Basic Education and as a Member of Parliament and Federal Chairperson for the opposition Democratic Alliance...
|
2010–present |
Chief Executive Officers
Chief executive officers of the Democratic Alliance:
|
Started |
Ended |
| 1 |
Ryan Coetzee Ryan Coetzee is a prominent South African politician and political strategist, and past CEO of the country's official opposition, the Democratic Alliance. He was a Member of Parliament between 2004 and 2009, and headed up his party's general election campaigns in 2004 and 2009...
|
November 2004 |
July 2009 |
| 2 |
Jonathan Moakes Jonathan Moakes is a South African political administrator and strategist, currently working as the Chief Executive Officer of South Africa's opposition Democratic Alliance.-Background:...
|
July 2009 |
incumbent |
Electoral performance
This chart shows electoral performance for the Democratic Alliance, and its predecessor the Democratic Party, since the advent of democracy in 1994:
| Election |
Total votes |
Share of votes |
Seats |
Party Leader |
Notes |
1994The South African general election of 1994 was an election held in South Africa to mark the end of apartheid, therefore also the first held with universal adult suffrage. The election was conducted under the direction of the Independent Electoral Commission .Millions queued in lines over a three...
|
338,426 |
1.73% |
7 |
{{sort|de Beer|Zach de Beer Zacharias Johannes de Beer was a liberal Afrikaner South African politician and businessman...
}} |
ANC victory |
1999South Africa's second non-racial general election, held on 2 June 1999 was won by the African National Congress , who increased their number of seats by 14. Notable was the sharp decline of the New National Party, previously the National Party , who without former president F.W. de Klerk lost more...
|
1,527,337 |
9.56% |
38 |
{{sort|Leon|Tony LeonAnthony James "Tony" Leon is a South African politician who served as leader of the opposition from 1999-2007 as leader of the Democratic Alliance. Although still a member of the DA, he currently serves as the South African Ambassador to Argentina under the ANC government.-Early life:Leon grew up...
}} |
ANC victory; DP becomes official opposition |
2004Legislative elections were held in South Africa on Wednesday, 14 April 2004. The African National Congress of President Thabo Mbeki, which came to power after the end of the apartheid system in 1994, was re-elected with an increased majority....
|
1,931,201 |
12.37% |
50 |
{{sort|Leon|Tony LeonAnthony James "Tony" Leon is a South African politician who served as leader of the opposition from 1999-2007 as leader of the Democratic Alliance. Although still a member of the DA, he currently serves as the South African Ambassador to Argentina under the ANC government.-Early life:Leon grew up...
}} |
ANC victory; DA retains official opposition status |
| 2009 South Africa held national and provincial elections to elect a new National Assembly as well as the provincial legislature in each province on 22 April 2009....
|
2,945,829 |
16.66% |
67 |
{{sort|Zille|Helen ZilleHelen Zille is the Premier of the Western Cape, a member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, leader of South Africa's opposition Democratic Alliance political party, and a former Mayor of Cape Town.Zille is a former journalist and anti-apartheid activist, and famously exposed the truth...
}} |
ANC victory; DA retains official opposition status and wins Western CapeThe Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
province |
Democratic Alliance Youth
The Democratic Alliance Youth, which came officially into being late in 2008, is led by
Makashule GanaMakashule Gana is the Democratic Alliance Youth Leader, and a DA councillor in the City of Johannesburg. He holds a BSc degree and is currently registered for a Post Graduate Diploma in Management with Wits Business School.- Early Childhood and Family :...
, who took over from
Khume RamulifhoKhume Ramulifho is a South African politician, previously the Democratic Alliance youth leader, and a present member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature.- References :...
in 2010. The DA Youth national chairperson is
Mbali NtuliMbali Ntuli is the chairperson of the Democratic Alliance Youth, the youth party of South Africa's official opposition party. She was elected to this position in 2010.-Early life and education:...
. Hlanganani Gumbi and Rihan Kleyn are the DA Youth Federal Training and Development Chaiperson and the Media and Publicity Chairperson respectively.
Delft
{{Main|N2 Gateway Occupations}}
In December 2007, a local DA councillor,
Frank MartinFrank Martin is a Democratic Alliance councillor for the 19th Ward in Cape Town which includes Blue Downs, Kuilsriver, Wesbank and a small eastern section of Delft.-N2 Gateway occupations:...
, allegedly encouraged local families to occupy newly built
N2 GatewayThe N2 Gateway Housing Pilot Project is a large housebuilding project under construction in Cape Town, South Africa. It has been labeled by the national government's former Housing Minister Lindiwe Sisulu as “the biggest housing project ever undertaken by any Government.” Even though it is a joint...
houses in
DelftDelft is a township on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa. It is situated next to the Cape Town International Airport, Belhar, Blue Downs & Site C, Khayelitsha. It is known for its high crime rate, substandard schools, lack of jobs, and numerous government built housing projects such as the...
in the
Western CapeThe Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
. After over 1,000 backyarders from the area occupied the houses, a high profile political fight between ANC and DA leaders ensued, each accusing the other of racism, playing party politics, and using the poor for their own gain. The ANC along with a number of civil society organisations such as the
Symphony Way Pavement DwellersSymphony Way Informal Settlement is a small community of pavement dwellers that have been living on Symphony Way, a main road in Delft, South Africa, since February 2008...
accused the DA of either instigating or tacitly approving of Martin's role in the invasions. Judge Van Zyl of the Cape Town High Court ruled to evict residents and also faulted Frank Martin for instigating the occupation. Criminal charges against Martin were later dropped. On 18 February 2009, a City of Cape Town disciplinary committee found Martin guilty of encouraging people to invade homes at Delft and was suspended for one month. A further political spat ensued after February 2008 between the DA and the Delft-Symphony Anti-Eviction Campaign, which accused the DA of favouring its party supporters. In response, Zille denied this, and pointed out that the City of Cape Town had responded to the crisis by providing comprehensive services to the Delft evictees.
Xenophobic attacks
{{See also|Xenophobia in South Africa}}
The DA and mayor Helen Zille drew criticism for their response to the 2008 xenophobic attacks in Cape Town. In particular,
Finance MinisterThe finance minister is a cabinet position in a government.A minister of finance has many different jobs in a government. He or she helps form the government budget, stimulate the economy, and control finances...
Trevor ManuelTrevor Andrew Manuel is a South African politician, currently serving in the Cabinet of South Africa as Minister in the Presidency in charge of the National Planning Commission...
accused Zille of "fanning the flames", by speaking out against foreign drug dealers while on a visit to
Mitchell's PlainMitchells Plain is a largely coloured township about 20 km from the city of Cape Town. It is one of South Africa's largest townships. It is located on the Cape Flats on the False Bay coast between Strandfontein and Khayelitsha...
. Zille responded that she had been completely misquoted, and challenged Manuel to read newspaper transcripts of her speech. Zille has also accused the ANC government of creating a dependancy culture lacking of economic development that has fuelled xenophobia.
See also
- Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
- Contributions to liberal theory
Individual contributors to classical liberalism and political liberalism are associated with philosophers of the Enlightenment. Liberalism as a specifically named ideology begins in the late 18th century as a movement towards self-government and away from aristocracy...
- Liberalism worldwide
This article gives information on liberalism in diverse countries around the world. It is an overview of parties that adhere more or less to the ideas of political liberalism and is therefore a list of liberal parties around the world....
- List of liberal parties
- Liberal democracy
Liberal democracy, also known as constitutional democracy, is a common form of representative democracy. According to the principles of liberal democracy, elections should be free and fair, and the political process should be competitive...
- Liberalism in South Africa
This article gives an overview of liberal parties in South Africa. It is limited to liberal parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament.-Introduction:...
Affiliates
External links
{{Commons category|Democratic Alliance (South Africa)}}