Could I Vote DA? by Eusebius McKaiser

Author:Eusebius McKaiser
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: BUS015000, BUS052000
Publisher: Bookstorm (Pty) Ltd

THE FALSE EXCEPTIONALISM OF ELOQUENT BLACKS

It is not just someone like Gana, however, who is not sufficiently groomed for leadership positions he is not ready for. Throughout this chapter I have, unintentionally, conveyed the impression of excellence on the part of Maimane and Mazibuko.

The truth, however, is that these young black leaders are equally the victims of the DA’s failure to think through an explicit development and mentoring programme. It is just that we live in a country where there is, as writer Jonny Steinberg once said, ‘an anthropology of low expectations’. Mazibuko and Maimane, in different ways, are both very eloquent communicators, confident politicians and socially savvy people, apparently able to negotiate their public roles with intimidating excellence.

But pay attention to the details of how their careers are playing out in the DA and it is clear that all is not well. Take Maimane. He has been, so far, Premier candidate for the DA in Gauteng, caucus leader of the DA councillors in Johannesburg, deputy federal chairperson of the party and simultaneously the national spokesperson. It was only a temporary crisis of confidence that stopped him in 2012 from running for the top party provincial leadership position in Gauteng.

This is not admirable. This is the patchy job-hopping CV of a young politician who is not adequately mentored to patiently earn his right to occupy a senior position by gaining either governance experience within the council, properly, and/or slowly building a deep network of credible relationships at grassroots level, in a bottom-up manner within the party’s structures.

Why the rush, therefore, from leaders like Helen Zille to use their suasion to ensure he gets elected easily into a senior position? Simple. He is black. As with Gana, it is unavoidable to conclude that but for the fact that Maimane is black, some of these leadership positions would not yet be on his political CV.

Even with his excellent professional and academic credentials it is obvious that Maimane is out of his depth as a caucus leader on the Johannesburg council. Speak to a critical number of councillors off the record and this becomes apparent. So it raises the question: what explains his amazing trajectory? And, more importantly, is this trajectory in Maimane’s own interest? Is it in the party’s interest? And what does it say to us voters who wonder what it means to be a talented, but under-prepared, black person entering the DA?

Sadly for the DA, the answers cannot be flattering. Despite the colour-blind rhetoric, Maimane’s lack of experience of all things governance did not get in the way of him being the Premier candidate for Gauteng. Maimane’s white doppelgänger would never have made it past the internal selection structures of the DA. He was propped up, looks pretty, has a charming smile, speaks beaaaaaautifully, so why not put him on posters around Gauteng?

Two horrible consequences follow: (a) Maimane’s professional development gets retarded (because the party then has to pretend he is already fit for purpose and so does not offer

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.