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The DA believes the formation of new political parties will strengthen the ANC and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) ahead of this year’s general elections.
The DA and the ANC have said they would go to war with those who have turned their backs on them.
Former Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille left the DA after a long brouhaha that resulted in her forming a movement named Good.
The ANC suffered a blow when former SABC chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng launched a new party called the African Content Movement.
On Friday, DA leader Mmusi Maimane told City Press the formation of new parties would strengthen the ANC and the EFF.
“If small parties take votes from the opposition, the ANC and the EFF can form a two-thirds majority and enhance corruption.
“The DA is the only party that is able to take on the ANC and remove it from power or reduce its majority,” he said.
Maimane said the DA “was the only party that has plans for jobs and the eradication of corruption”, giving as an example the VBS Mutual Bank scandal – also known as the Great Bank Heist – in which “both the ANC and EFF have benefited directly and indirectly”.
“The ANC is a corruption syndicate. We need change in South Africa and the future is a weaker ANC,” he said.
The DA’s election machinery will shift into top gear when Maimane unveils the party’s election manifesto in Johannesburg on February 23 – two weeks after the EFF unveils its manifesto.
The DA’s national campaign manager and strategist, Jonathan Moakes, disclosed that the party’s election campaign message would contain pertinent issues, such as creating jobs and growing the economy.
He said the DA would communicate a message of building one South Africa for all.
“We want to campaign on a message of hope and change. We want the country to have greater access to opportunities so that more people can get jobs and work. That, in a sense, is the main message,” said Moakes.
He said the pathway to building one South Africa for all would be by fighting and eradicating corruption, creating fair access to jobs and growing the economy, and making communities safer by bringing in honest and professional members of the police.
“We believe we need to speed up the delivery of basic services and make sure South Africa secures its borders,” he said.
The DA’s campaign strategy during the municipal elections in 2016 centred on stopping corruption and creating jobs.
The party managed to wrestle power from the ANC in powerful metros such as Tshwane and Johannesburg.
The DA is eyeing power in Gauteng and the Northern Cape, and it will work hard to retain the Western Cape.
“We have to communicate what our track record in the Western Cape government has been.
“We are very positive that we are on track to retain the province and give the citizens another five years of good service delivery,” Moakes said.
“We are very positive and optimistic that we have a good chance of bringing the ANC at least below 50% support and that we can become the biggest party in Gauteng. We are confident about being able to unseat the ANC in Gauteng.”
Some party members were concerned that De Lille’s departure would affect the DA’s performance in the Western Cape.
Moakes disagreed, saying the DA did the right thing by letting De Lille go.
“I think the citizens of Cape Town and the South African electorate recognise that the DA did the right thing by keeping corruption and maladministration out of the city of Cape Town.”
Moakes said voters were more interested in a party that could build one South Africa, effectively deal with corruption and create jobs.
In the 2014 national elections, the DA received 22.23% of the vote; the ANC got 62.15%; and the EFF managed only 6.35%.
