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Yesterday, Sunday World ran an article on a recent interview with Helen Zille on the party’s plans for after the election.

She admitted the same things that all the members of the exco have been saying for months now:

a) the MPC don’t have enough of the vote to win

b) they must do absolutely anything in their power to keep the EFF and MK out of power

c) an ANC coalition is on the table

Now, even without a degree in syllogistic logic, one can see that there is only one possible conclusion one can deduce from these premises - that they will try to form a coalition with the ANC.

It is as if a man with two apples in his left hand, and two in his right, will admit as much, but call you a liar if you say he is holding four apples.

This is the stuff of Lewis Carrol logic puzzles.

The thing is, no matter how hard they insist they are not preparing to ask the ANC to form a government with them, their coalition partners, with whom they signed an agreement not to entertain any coalition with the ANC, cannot get them to rule out the very thing they signed a contract promising not to do.

Now, many would tell you that they sincerely meant to try and get the MPC above 50%, but nobody sane would believe you. The share of the vote between the ANC and its splinter parties on the one hand, and the liberal/minoritarian parties on the other, has never changed, remaining at a 65-35 split since 1994.

While it would horrify DA supporters (and ANC supporters, for that matter) investors and donors see it as a positive outcome - after all, in their shallow outlook, a more economically liberal partner will simply straighten the ANC out and get the country on the right track, as if the ANC will simply abandon their core tenets and volunteer to go to prison for corruption overnight.

Likely outcome in reality is that such a coalition will either not hold together for any meaningful period of time, or will see the DA made impotent by the ANC’s tacit threat to depart the coalition for other partners who share their values more fully.

And anyone can see that whoever is in charge for the next five years will bear the brunt of the blame for all the problems that can't be fixed now - going into power wth the ANC in 2024 means the voters will punish both parties in 2029, and the EFF and MK come out as the winners while the liberal opposition is splintered.

Besides, it isn’t as if its the only option out there - the DA have (and have had) plenty of opportunities in front of them for taking back powers from national government in the Western Cape and potentially Gauteng, and could be doing far more to litigate and investigate ANC corruption (after all, Premiers have special powers of investigation).

Instead, they have sat on their thumbs for 15 years, waiting for a meal ticket.

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