Politics.za: Helen Zille Is The Leader Of The Opposition

Helen Zille Is The Leader Of The Opposition

Farrel — Sun, 06 May 2007 09:09:00 -0400

Mayor of Cape Town Helen Zille has been elected as the new leader of the DA, beating out DA Federal Chairman Joe Seremane and Easter Cape Provinicial Leader Athol Trollip.

What’s interesting to me was the utter shellacking Joe Seremane received in the voting. Seremane received a mere 65 votes, compared to Zille’s 786. Even supposed no-hoper Athol Trollip received 228 votes. I’ll bet that some spin doctors in Luthuli House are making note of that.

Due to the fact that Zille will retain her position as Mayor of Cape Town and will not be present in parliament, the DA will have to appoint a parliamentary representative to take her place. I assume this will be Joe Seremane.

Although Zille is a competent and able leader I do hope that her reign as leader takes the form of night watchman rather than a long term leader. The DA is still facing a leadership crisis in that the top leadership is still dominated by white males. Perhaps we should be keeping an eye on some of the DA’s Young Guns?

"Helen Zille Is The Leader Of The Opposition" by Loki

Thu, 10 May 2007 14:45:43 -0400

Gee, that was constructive.

I don’t know where the 12% of the vote came from. The DA received 41% of the vote in Cape Town. Helen is an English, Afrikaans and Xhosa speaking white [woman].

Anyone who was at the DA Federal Congress where Helen was elected, or even watched it on TV would have seen that non-white delegates outnumbered whites by about two to one. And Helen carried that vote.

As for Cape Town, she’s been in office for a year. In that time, she has sorted out uncounted ANC messes (including the Greenpoint Stadium debacle, Imizamo Yethu (where the ANC just sat on their collective hands waiting for something to happen), rampant corruption and nepotism – to name but a few). Give her a chance…

"Helen Zille Is The Leader Of The Opposition" by kevinadrianhughes@yahoo.com

Thu, 10 May 2007 13:54:57 -0400

What a joke for a politician who never got more than 12% of the vote. I do not think Helen Zille will be any different. She’s also an English-speaking white along with most DA leaders and I predict the DA will never attract black votes as it is seen as anti-African and will always look after it’s own first. But as far as Tony is concerned, good riddance for all of us. I guess the only thing different about Helen is that she is dumber and I look for her to tumble. Maybe she will lose control of Cape Town as a consequence of her decision to become a part-time mayor. She did nothing for the poor in Cape Town including not building houses, unlike other SA metros that are moving along. Joburg for example is going to provide 50,000 housing units in the inner city.

"Helen Zille Is The Leader Of The Opposition" by hex

Tue, 08 May 2007 13:18:18 -0400

Live sheep for ceremonial slaughtering? In her car?! I’ve just changed my mind about her.

"Helen Zille Is The Leader Of The Opposition" by Heil Zille!

Tue, 08 May 2007 01:37:33 -0400

She is MAN enough to do the job and wears pants to prove it! Comrade Zille comes from the struggle and Black Sash, knows how to do the black salute, sank the whites who killed Steve Biko, investigated taxi violence, dance on chairs with African supporters, took live sheep for ceremonial slaughtering in her official car to Cross Roads, speaks some Xhosa, got rid of many Blacks (both at education, city and party) and wears African attire with fitting head dress at times. What more do you need? Heil Otta Maree (aka Helen Zille)!

"Helen Zille Is The Leader Of The Opposition" by Karen

Mon, 07 May 2007 04:06:31 -0400

That’s safe money, Farrel. It’s a bad position for the poor guy – he didn’t even come second! But you know politicians are creatures cut from a different cloth one always wonders how much is true out-of-the-heart conviction and how much is just the adrenalin rush of the game. They absolutely fascinate me.

"Helen Zille Is The Leader Of The Opposition" by Farrel

Mon, 07 May 2007 02:12:33 -0400

Karen, I will put money on the ANC constantly reminding him about that.

"Helen Zille Is The Leader Of The Opposition" by Karen

Mon, 07 May 2007 00:02:26 -0400

I agree, she is the best of the bunch at the moment, but to be both party leader of the so called opposition and Mayor of Cape Town is crazy. Maybe the DA is really at the end of its lifespan.

And poor old Joe, nobody really wants him as leader (only 65 votes) but he has to go and sit in Parliament and report back to the white madam?

"Helen Zille Is The Leader Of The Opposition" by Farrel

Sun, 06 May 2007 17:07:41 -0400

During her interview on Fokus this afternoon, she said that she will be basically co-leading the party with DA Chairman Joe Seremane. However because she will not be in parliament it seems he will be defacto leader of the opposition in government and she will be an almost defacto Chairman instead.

"Helen Zille Is The Leader Of The Opposition" by http://nepaliakash.blogspot.com

Sun, 06 May 2007 15:44:22 -0400

Perhaps, times – they are changing.

"Helen Zille Is The Leader Of The Opposition" by hex

Sun, 06 May 2007 12:52:06 -0400

Really, Mike, I’m not pleased with you. You go and exercise that vote of yours. That’s an order!

"Helen Zille Is The Leader Of The Opposition" by Mike

Sun, 06 May 2007 12:38:57 -0400

Gosh! That was a surprise. Wasn’t it?

As an ex-Capetonian, Boy! Am I Glad She’s Not My Mayor! I sure as hell hope you’re right about her night-watch(wo)manship…

I confess that I long since left the DA behind. Frankly, there’s nobody left for a liberty-and-freedom minded SA’frican to vote for (well, maybe excepting the Green Party in the WC, and they’re far beyind a joke!)