Geordin Hill-Lewis’s recent article (“Beyond left and right in politics”, March 19), refers.
In light of his decision to stand for the DA leadership and his apparent trajectory toward a decisive victory, it is imperative to reflect on the calibre of individual that is required.
Hill-Lewis must resist the inclination to surround himself with unquestioning loyalists. Meaningful leadership demands principled individuals who are willing to offer both counsel and constructive dissent.
He stands on the threshold of leading a party with considerable influence within national governance, engaging key portfolios such as home affairs, public works and agriculture. It is therefore essential that he recognises his authority as neither constrained nor symbolic.
The DA remains uniquely positioned to hold the ANC to account, an obligation it has not exercised with sufficient vigour within the government of national unity.
While the party has supported and, in some instances implemented, ANC policies, many aimed at uplifting the poor, there is a pressing need for greater assertiveness. The DA must demonstrate the courage to compel President Cyril Ramaphosa to act decisively against compromised members of his administration.
Equally, the nation cannot afford to defer urgent interventions until after the next local government elections. The water crises affecting parts of the country are, in many instances, not the result of natural scarcity but of systemic mismanagement and self-enrichment schemes. Citizens deserve immediate protection, accountability and decisive remedial action.
South Africa, bordered by two vast oceans, cannot credibly be described as water-scarce. Such assertions obscure deeper structural failures and divert attention from the need for honest governance and innovative solutions.
Hill-Lewis once observed that politics in South Africa has become a blood sport, in which success is measured by the number of people one diminishes rather than uplifts. The question that now arises is simple yet profound: what kind of leader will he choose to be?
Rozario Brown
Mouille Point
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