The Democratic Alliance is haemorrhaging and suffering in the WC because voters do not support Alan Winde

23 April 2019

The practice of the African National Congress (ANC) announcing our Premier candidates ended ten years ago. “We are not a party that proclaims Premier candidates prematurely, this is not an issue for us” said Ebrahim Rasool, head of elections in the Western Cape.  The Democratic Alliance (DA) is haemorrhaging and suffering from prematurely declaring Alan Winde as their Premier candidate – forcing them to resort to gimmicks and marketing tactics.

All the evidence points to the fact that Western Cape voters, especially African voters, do not support Alan Winde. “The DA’s decision to promote Alan Winde as their Premier candidate position over their leader of the party in the Western Cape, Bonginkosi Madikizela, provides concrete evidence to voters, especially African voters, that they are just voting fodder for the DA” said Ebrahim Rasool.

Bonginkosi Madikizela was overlooked and pushed aside by the DA because:

1. Internal polls told them that their base is so racialised that they could not sell a black African candidate to their core constituencies to the Western Cape.

2. This window dressing was immediately felt in African townships in the Western Cape and Bonginkosi Madikizela has thus demobilised African communities - this is why the Democratic Alliance is not present in African areas in the Western Cape.

3. Issue of their premier candidate, Alan Winde, is now biting them because African voters are treated like voting fodder. African voters are not oblivious to the fact that the DA uses Africans for optics purposes and not true leadership.  

4. Both Bonginkosi Madikizela and Mmusi Maimane, elected black African leaders of the Democratic Alliance, were overlooked for Alan Winde as the Premier candidate in the Western Cape. Showing African and Coloured voters that even when you win the leadership battlements in the DA you remain a window dresser and not really fit for purpose.  

“These marketing tactics of the DA demonstrates further their obsession with gimmicks and optics. The reality is President Ramaphosa’s leadership is positively resonating within our country and among the international community.  Positivity is growing and can be felt within South Africa as we head to elect President Ramaphosa as our president – affirming the call to uphold our rule-of-law society and promote the enforcement of justice” said Ebrahim Rasool.  

Issued by Ebrahim Rasool, Head of Elections Western Cape, 23 April 2019