DA's two electoral nemeses

»» Parties are set to make life difficult for Steenhuisen’s party, say analysts.

- Eric Naki

The DA has two direct electoral enemies: one that threatens its existence and other that gives it sleepless nights ActionSA and at every election the Patriotic Alliance (PA).

Herman Mashaba's ActionSA is a soft and quiet foe, while Gayton McKenzie's PA is a radical and vocal adversary and strongly dares the DA in its long-monopolised coloured constituency in the Western Cape and elsewhere.

Experts agree the two parties are set to make life difficult for the DA because they are stealing its supposed base the middle class for ActionSA and coloured voters for the PA.

Experts note that during the recent election campaign, ActionSA became visible in the white suburbs and black middle-class areas, while the PA centred its campaign in coloured areas.

Political analyst Prof Ntsikelelo Breakfast said ActionSA was called "DA-lite" for a reason - because, like the DA, it pursued neoliberal and free market policies.

The two parties are funded by the same donors.

He said ActionSA appealed to the middle class but it was not rooted in the rank-and-file members of the population.