The Democratic Alliance leaders seem to have an uncanny knack for picking all the wrong issues on which to make a stand, in the process making themselves appear mean, petty, spiteful and vindictive, and unworthy of the support of any fair-minded citizens.
The fuss over President Mbeki's retirement home is only the latest in a long string of instances of "crying 'Wolf!'".
In their 2004 election campaign they made another petty and spiteful attack on President Mbeki by deliberately trying to create the impression that he was seeking a third term of office, when they had no evidence that he was planning to do so. How many terms of office has Tony Leon had as leader of the DA?
In the 1999 election, when our infant democracy was barely five years old, the Democratic Party (predecessor of the DA), pronounced that they were "gatvol" with it, and urged the voters to "fight back". If they were so "gatvol" after only five years, one wonders why they retained the name "Democratic" for their party.
A healthy multi-party democracy needs a principled opposition, but the DA's political buffoonery deprives the term "leader of the opposition" of all dignity.
Technorati tags: South Africa, politics, Democratic Alliance, Tony Leon, gatvol
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