If DA were more patient, things could've looked up for party

In a couple of months, the DA will be celebrating its 20th anniversary. But before then, it’s clear that a few things need to be sorted out.

Instead of sending out the invitations and planning the mother of all birthday bashes, its leaders have begun bashing one another in public.

Mother Grundy has come down from the Cape mountains clutching scrolls of doctrines as old as the hills.

With the clock ticking furiously, a putsch has been launched against the “Obama of Soweto” for failing to deliver the black vote.

As Helen Zille put it, there’s been “turmoil and distress” in the party.

Mmusi Maimane is being forced to fall on his sword, something that might send the party back to square one of a tiny enclave of liberal purists and minorities.

This is sad and unfortunate for multiparty democracy.

President Cyril Ramaphosa must be thanking his ancestors. Now the ANC can start talking about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ again.

Having “lost its way” and performed “poorly” in the elections under Maimane, the “bright

dynamic black leader” mentored

and sponsored all the way to the

top, turmoil and distress reigns.

Maimane was always a light weight, and was therefore going to need more rounds and rematches to finally knock out the reigning giant that is the ANC.

Momzille should have been more patient with him, and more patient with the black voter.

Why throw out the baby with the bath water?

* Mazwi Xaba is the editor of the Independent On Saturday