"Opposition is true friendship" is a striking phrase in a poem by William Blake.
He was making a mystical point about the creativity sparked by opposites, but it applies in down-to-earth politics as well.
Jacob Zuma has tried to reinvent himself as president by advocating high standards of service, integrity and accountability.
This is all very welcome. People want good news and a change in direction, so even Zapiro has suspended his shower head Zuma cartoons.
Zuma has also made overtures to opposition political parties, a change from former president Thabo Mbeki's disdain.
Is this really a new era? There were similar hopes when Mbeki started, but we got HIV/Aids nuttiness, incompetent Ministers never fired, and the use of race to undermine the rainbow nation.
The price of Zuma's friendship seems to be that of drawing a curtain over his murky past.
Don't mention his condomless night with a young HIV-positive woman. Don't recall his personal financial fecklessness, his relationship with Schabir Shaik, or the 783 charges of corruption withdrawn not because of no evidence but because of mysteriously-obtained tapes that supposedly tainted the prosecution.
If you do, the ANC Youth League and MK Military Veterans will pounce, probably with the ANC's discreet approval.
It's quite tempting for an opposition to suspend criticism and give the benefit of the doubt for a limited period. It can add moral authority to later criticism if things go sour.
But it may be a fatal mistake, since the Zuma administration may initially be better on performance and accountability, but has some far worse policies.
For instance, the National Health Insurance looks like a reckless takeover of private health care that will worsen health for everyone and drive more medical professionals overseas.
Then there is the Constitution 17th Amendment Bill that threatens to take away powers of opposition-controlled local governments.
Communist and trade union pressure could also push economic policy in a disastrous direction.
All these threats need to be resisted vigorously. Better administration will also not happen unless the ANC revises its cadre deployment policy, which it continues to avow.
In Gauteng, Premier Nomvula Mokonyane has started off well with pledges to fight corruption and boot out non-performing civil servants.
She has also tried a charm offensive, calling for the DA to be partners and even "friends" in achieving provincial goals.
The price, though, is to go easy on her unimpressive past as Housing MEC when she was aptly named the "Queen of empty promises".
She curtailed the Ramathe Fivaz investigation into housing corruption, and did very little to bring identified culprits to book, including ANC councillors.
Nor did she recover R58 million spent by Bahlodi Construction that failed to build a single house in Evaton.
It was easy to sacrifice her Agriculture MEC over purchase of a R1 million car since she was an appointee of rival Paul Mashatile.
But what will she do when corruption is found on a close political ally who threatens to bring others down as well?
The true friendship that the DA can offer is to continue to push for past misdeeds to be punished, uncover new corruption, and spell out the alternative policies of an open opportunity society.
Co-option is a trap, whereas good opposition makes for good government.
Jack Bloom MPL is a DA member of the Gauteng Legislature. This article first appeared in The Citizen, July 21 2009
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