I will narrow the gap between DA’s leadership and electorate – Phalatse

Former Joburg mayor Dr Mpho Phalatse says standing against John Steenhuisen for the DA leadership is to close a leadership vacuum in her party.

“We have leadership in the party. However, there remains a gap between the DA and the electorate that must give us the mandate to govern. There remains a leadership gap in leading the party to connect with the majority of South Africans.”

Phalatse is confident that the DA is “a great organisation” that has what it takes “to fix the mess that the ANC has left behind”, but cannot do that while it is seen as a white party.

“If we are serious about governing then we need to engage the masses. There is a view among many in the DA that there is a gap in leading the party in that direction.”

Phalatse says she knows this from her experience campaigning for the DA in the 2021 local government elections.

“Many people told me, ‘we know that you can deliver but we don’t trust you’.”

“Many black South Africans still don’t trust being led by a white person, regardless of their merits and what they bring to the table. There are many others who would give a white person a chance, but not just any.

“It would have to be someone who is proven to be vested in the wellbeing of the ordinary South African regardless of their demographic features. Somebody that would convincingly show that.

“For some people, it is about race. For some people it is not. It is about do you see me? Do you know my issues? Have you walked a mile in my shoes? Do you understand what I need and are you actively driving them?”

She references Umngeni municipality mayor Chris Pappas as an example of the kind of leader whose whiteness and maleness may not be a barrier to other race and sex groups to trust and relate to.

Phalatse, who refuses to be described as impatient, says she wants the DA top job because that is where the influence is.

“I am not saying our regional and provincial leaders are not influential but it would be a very long journey to effect the kind of change I would like to effect on the party if I have to go through those structures.”

As she accepts that some might think she is not ready because she has only been with the party for about eight years, Phalatse argues that she should be judged on what she has done in the period and not how long she has been a member.

“I have done more in the eight years than many have done in 20 years in the party. I was a councillor, sworn in  inAugust 2016. In the same month I was sworn in as an MMC [member of the mayoral committee].

“I started at leadership level with a huge responsibility. I was tasked with health and social development. I am very proud to say we did great things in that short period of time. Three years as an MMC and two years in the opposition benches and then I became a mayor leading a nine-party coalition. That is a lot of experience. Not just government experience but also political experience.”

Phalatse is adamant that her highlighting her diverse background is not an attempt to decampaign her opponent, party leader Steenhuisen.

“All I have ever done is emphasise my experience in and outside government. I have been exposed to different settings. I understand what the person on the ground is looking for and I believe that I can build the bridges that we require to attract those people.

“I have never in mentioning those things said anything about my race or gender. It has always been where I have been in life, and life has taken me to many different places.”

What she is unequivocal about is that the DA needs to be a little bolder and start contesting in constituencies that are not its traditional turf.

“If there is a by-election in Soweto, we think twice about whether we should contest it. There was a by-election now in Limpopo, we didn’t contest that by-election.

“Yes, there are limited resources but it is almost as if we have resigned ourselves that we are limited to certain constituencies and accepted that we do not appeal to certain population groupings.

“I believe we can appeal to these groupings. The solutions we offer will appeal to them if we take the time and invest ourselves enough to continue selling our product to them.

“Depending on how your bank balances look, you may decide to give [some by-elections] a miss because we are not going to succeed. But if you go in you may just grow your voter base. You may not win the first time but you might begin to influence and penetrate those markets.”

While Phalatse may not openly say that she believes that being a black woman can help make the party more attractive to black voters, the DA in the past pinned its hopes on Mmusi Maimane being a drawcard for black, urban voters.

The experiment backfired with the DA losing votes to right wing parties. Phalatse believes she has the antidote for this.

“There is fear on the part of black people because of the past. There is fear on the part of white people.

“They have their own anxieties and own interests. It is always a tricky thing when dealing with diverse populations because you have to be able to understand everyone’s currency, facilitate conversations to find the middle ground or compromise, and be very sensitive in your communication, so that in attracting one constituency you do not offend or upset another.

“It is doable. There is a healthy middle ground where South Africans can co-exist peacefully beyond apartheid and liberation politics.

“The DA has solutions that can address the diverse interests across the population. But it is a skill to walk us through that kind of process. That skill is important and I have that skill.”