The DA is doing away with redress based on race as it seemingly distances itself from policies it had adopted during the tenure of former leader Mmusi Maimane.
One of the DA's biggest policy changes after its virtual policy conference held over the weekend was doing away with race-based redress and quotas, a move seen by analysts as the party attempting to redefine itself.
The party says it now aims to maximise the potential value of diversity as it feels that could acts as a"potential bulwark against discrimination, uniformity of thought and closed thinking”.
Maimane was forced to resign as he was blamed for the DA's disastrous electoral performance in the May 2019 national elections in which the party lost support, especially among white Afrikaners in the City of Tshwane among other areas.
“The DA therefore opposes quotas, be they race, gender or other,” read the party's resolution on redress.
“Each individual is unique and not a racial or gender envoy, thus diversity is not a demographic representivity.”
The policy resolution on redress also states that the DA will strive to overcome the past and create a just and equitable future.
The party also adopted a resolution on the principle of diversity which stated it's “the existence of difference” which it anticipates would have the “potential top broaden learning, debate and healthy competition”.
Political analyst professor Somadoda Fikeni said the DA had been redefining itself since the last elections.
“The DA is redefining itself in the most negative way because since Helen Zille crafted its policy document blue print when she was at the Institute of Race Relations wherein she was expressing regret for openly using race and inviting black leaders and others because of their race,” he said.
Fikeni said the party had in a way adopted her position as Zille was elected as chair of the federal council.
“That in itself indicates that DA is shifting in the more new-conservative position and the question is whether it would still be called a liberal party in terms of the classical classification you see across the world,” Fikeni said.
He said the departure of leaders such as Patricia de Lille, Maimane, Herman Mashaba and lately John Moodey linked with the threat of disciplinary actions against other black leaders remaining in the party “raises the question whether the narrative that says there’s a purge if not a physical purge, but an ideological one and it complicates the lives of leaders like Mbali Ntuli who is still in the party and vocal.”
Other resolutions spoke about opportunity which the DA feels “gives freedom practical meaning”.
“Individuals also have a responsibility to recognise and to make use of opportunity. The DA will strive to enhance equal opportunities for all,” read the resolution.
Political analyst Ongama Mtikma said the DA was faced with two strategic options ahead of this policy conference. “The first option was to continue to transform itself in terms of leadership and after to try to attract a bigger pool of South Africans or not to become a broad church and focus on a specific constituency,” Mtikma said.
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