A step closer to the total realignment of South African politics

Note to editors: the following text accompanies the press conference held today in Kempton Park, in which a political memorandum of understanding was signed by Helen Zille and Patricia de Lille. The first text is that of Helen Zille's statement; Patricia de Lille's statement follows after that. A copy of the memorandum of understanding is downloadable in the footer of this message.

Statement by Helen Zille:

Today we announce an historic step in the realignment of South African politics.

This step takes us closer to building a new majority that can win elections across South Africa.

It is a political memorandum of understanding between the ID and the DA to come together and fight elections under the DA's banner and we plan to implement and honour it.

Our parties accept the principal of joint membership under specific circumstances and today Patricia de Lille, her deputy Agnes Tsamai, and other senior ID leaders will take out membership of the DA.

The Federal Council of the DA and the National Executive Committee of the ID today and yesterday ratified our memorandum, paving the way for complete integration by 2014.

In terms of our memorandum:

• The DA will accept ID public representatives as members of the DA. ID councillors will be entitled to hold dual membership until the local government elections due to be held next year. ID Members of Parliament and Members of Provincial Legislatures will be entitled to hold dual membership until the general election to be held in 2014.

• The DA and the ID will hold joint caucuses in the councils and legislatures where both parties are represented.

• The DA and the ID will not compete against each other in by-elections or campaign independently of each other.

• An appropriate number of ID members in leadership positions will join the highest decision-making bodies of the DA - the National Management Committee, the Federal Executive and the Federal Council.

• Employees of the ID will be integrated into the DA's operational structures.

This memorandum of the DA and the ID heralds the beginning of a new phase in our journey away from the politics of racial identity, towards the politics of shared values.  These values will form the bedrock of the new majority we are building in South Africa.

The political contest in South Africa is now between the values of openness and opportunities for all envisaged in the Constitution versus the ruling party's drive to close down the democratic space and limit opportunities to the politically-connected few.

We believe that, working together, we can win this battle of ideas. We look forward to making the South African dream - of one nation united under the Constitution - a reality for all who live in it.

Statement by Patricia de Lille:

Today is an important day for our country's democracy and it is a day that represents the culmination of a long process for me and the Independent Democrats.

For the Independent Democrats this process began on the 17 May last year with the adoption of a Resolution by the ID National Executive Committee, which gave the party leadership the mandate to enter into exploratory talks with other opposition parties around the issue of consolidating the opposition.

Then, at a Special National Conference of the ID held on 20 March this year, we were given the deadline by our structures to conclude these talks within 180 days.

I am pleased to announce that we have met that deadline and we have done it in a manner that has involved our party structures every step of the way.

This involvement has been crucial to the success of this endeavour.

As I am sure you are aware these types of processes are extremely complex and are fraught with pitfalls on all sides.

Our democracy is unfortunately littered with failed projects of this kind.

This time is different, however, because we have learnt from those experiences and we haven't taken any shortcuts in the process.

This has not been a process of expedience or jostling for positions, but one in which we have felt each other out and have painstakingly worked through our differences.

Our experience in running municipalities together has also helped in fostering an environment of mutual trust and understanding for each other's values and desires for the future of our country.

I can therefore proudly state today that this is a marriage that will last, because very importantly it has the blessing of our members.

As in a marriage, both partners bring different life experiences, personalities and approaches to issues.

It is this diversity, however, that will add the spice to the marriage and ensure that the whole will be greater than the sum of its parts.

We are hoping that this marriage will inspire all South Africans to come together behind a vision that can unlock the true potential of our country.

For this to happen we have to learn to trust each other and to stand up together against the corruption that is robbing our country's chances of prosperity.

This event today must merely be seen as the first step in the important task of consolidating the opposition and offering the voters a true alternative Government.

In this regard, negotiations with Cope and the UDM will continue once they have received the mandate from their respective conferences.

We will not rest until we have brought all like-minded parties into this broad based initiative.

Our democracy requires it and research has shown that our voters are crying out for it.

As I have said before, if we build it they will vote for it!

I realise that there are some sceptics out there and that there will also be some self-appointed analysts who will find a whole host of reasons why this marriage could end up in a divorce.

Some analysts will point to our different styles, emphases, ideologies, history along with a whole host of other factors and shout about how this can never work.

I am also aware that there are people who have attempted to try and understand my own personal evolution as a political figure in the South African landscape.

Let me now help you understand all of this.

I am still the same person that I was when I made that decision many decades ago to join in the struggle against Apartheid.

I still hold the same political objectives of fighting oppression and building a society that is based on the principles of justice, fairness and equality before the law.

I was very militant during those days of the struggle because the enemy that we faced showed us no mercy in its onslaught.

I am still immensely proud to state that I was part of that broad movement which finally brought political freedom and democracy for all South Africans.

I am also proud that I was part of the multi-party negotiation forum that took place here in Kempton Park from 1992 and produced the Interim Constitution for our country, leading up to the adoption of the final Constitution in 1996.

I have realised though, that political freedom is not enough, when so many South Africans still live in conditions of squalor, without the dignity of a job.

I have also realised that political rhetoric and nice sounding speeches are not enough to tackle the persistent problems of inequality, poverty, unemployment, crime and corruption that have thrown millions of our people into a daily struggle for survival.

I have also seen how a so-called pro-poor ideology of the ANC has often been used to mask the underhand activities of those who are actually stealing from the poor.

Ideology is important, but what has to be our first priority right now is to secure good governance, where public servants actually serve the people who elected them and not their own interests.

Unless we can secure good governance through building political accountability into the system, ideology will be reduced to meaningless slogans.

Questions can rightfully be asked as to who really is the party of the poor in South Africa, because although I have not compromised on my ideals, I have seen too many of my former comrades making a mockery of the values of the struggle.

The time has come to call an end to this charade.   

Make no mistake, in this marriage we may sometimes differ, but we will engage with the intention of building a strong political vehicle that can drive forward the much-needed change in South Africa.

Where Government needs to be kicked out of its political comfort zones we will do it, because South Africa is not in a comfort zone and our people are requiring bold political leadership.

We therefore look forward to this next stage in our country's democracy and we feel proud that we are part of building an alternative political future.

Building a future that we can all be proud of requires bold action and an ability to change what is not working.

The Local Government elections next year will be a chance for all South Africans to contribute to this process of change that we have initiated here today.

The heroes of the struggle, like Nelson Mandela, Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, Stephen Bantu Biko and others would be proud to know that this marriage aims to protect our democracy and our Constitution, which they have all given their lives for. 

I thank you.

Statement issued by the Democratic Alliance, August 15 2010

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