Tuesday, February 11, 2014

SA's election spotlight shifts from DA-Agang to the Economic Freedom Fighters


With the DA-Agang 'game-changer' gone if not forgotten, a key remaining interest in the elections is how far the ‘millions’ of voters for the Economic Freedom Fighters prove to be a reality, not just media hype.

There is no dodging an answer now for Mr Malema and his team: SA’s neo-neo-Marxist-Leninists have made themselves hostages to fortune by competing in neo-liberal polls. Sorry to stir, guys, but Lenin did not allow that and Stalin would have had you shot.

If the EFF underperforms in such difficult times as these (what would you say underperforms means? - under 10%?), it would suggest SA has no significant constituency, young or otherwise, for political radicalism at any time.
 
But even if dissidents show up in some numbers, the result will be further splits as major power-brokers opt to stay on board. That is what Cosatu, representing the workers as a federation, wish to do. Whatever their rhetoric, trades unions are part of the system. The last thing the leaders want is revolution. In a liberal or social democracy, they want representation.

As for the South African Communist Party, it has always known which side its bread is buttered.

The upshot may well be the ANC gets re-elected with comfortably over 60% once more, as it pulls out all the stops in the election fight. Obviously that would be bad news for the DA, who will just have to soldier on again, maybe beyond 2019.
 
Helen Zille, as she freely admits, is in a hurry for change. Delivery protests notwithstanding, it still seems unlikely South African society is.

 
Featured letter in Business Day February 11 2014