It’s hard to accept the truth when the lies are what you want to hear.

It terrifies me how unaware, apathetic or complicit people are regards the repeated breaches of democracy by the DA. They are a party in moral crisis which is undoubtedly why their ranks have divided.

Whereas what’s happening in my home town of Knysna (and elsewhere in the Western Cape) should be an educative warning to South Africa, it’s further diluted by the bashing by blind DA supporters who, like their party, refuse to address the issues. Morality isn’t blind and justice is when facts are weighed so as to reach a logical decision. Emotional outcries such as “the DA is a 1000x better than the ANC” are appallingly ignorant of reason and pro-action. One’s crime should not be forgiven if another commits a bigger crime. One’s crime should be judged alone. South Africa, unfortunately, isn’t a fair country.

Truth is uncomfortable…and the truth is that power corrupts. The ANC is monstrous in its arrogance that it can get away with it (and so often does). The DA, as opposition, has had to be more devious and were given a significant nudge deeper into immorality by mainstream media that, until recently, gave them a free ride away from honest journalism.

Every nail hole we allow to penetrate democracy threatens to unite with other holes so as to become a cavern in our rights as citizens of our beautiful country.

Nationally, the DA has gobbled up politicians from the other side. A member of the ANC (they criticised) can suddenly become an applauded member of the DA. How could someone ‘wrong’ suddenly be ‘right’? That “either you’re with us or against us” attitude fails as a moral barometer. Why would anyone want to applaud an immoral move for more power or to simply stay in power?

Then there’s the DA’s BEE bomb that even the mainstream media could not ignore and thus, part of the DA’s free ride (from white criticism) has come to an end. Helen Zille even admitted that Lindiwe Mazibuko would never have gained her position without affirmative action. It’s obvious that merit isn’t on the new DA’s agenda.

The DA (and it’s previous DP incarnation) has been intentionally hypocritical towards gaining power. It existed and grew because it first targeted the rich, white minority which could fund it. They used fear as a weapon to gain support. During their Fight Back campaign, which radically increased their support, they stood against “race-based, affirmative action”. The conservative NNP was suitably impressed that it allowed itself to be be consumed by the DP. That white minority, now less affluent, has outgrown its usefulness so the DA refocuses to try gain the poor, black majority. There’s an absolute need to understand the lives of all South Africans and address inequality but that does not dismiss the flip-flopping DA or their betrayal of liberalism. They’re about power, not people.

The DA is divided! This week, that was further emphasised by the Mail & Guardian’s article, ‘Black Caucus’ Sets Out Its Agenda for First DA Policy Conference’. That anything has been dubbed “white” or “black” is wrong. Isn’t the DA suppose to be a party for all? Instead of bridging the racial divide, they have created their own. The DA has become the Undemocratic Alliance, exploiting race for votes.

Let’s not forget that earlier this year the DA disastrously tried to claim Nelson Mandela as their icon (keep in mind that it was due to Mandela that we got stuck with Jacob Zuma’s vice presidency which led us to the openly corrupt South Africa we are now). And what of Helen Zille’s attempt to rewrite the DA’s history so that Tony Leon was no longer part of it? It’s too coincidental that Tony Leon and many others seem to be opposition within their own party. What of the fact that the DA is supposed to be liberal yet much of it’s past support was, contradictorily, from conservatives which is likely a reason why the DA refuses to show whose funding them? Another reason for the latter could be their cosying up to big business that finds both not giving a damn about the law and the wishes of the people (us) they’re suppose to be representing.

If we can’t trust the DA now, then how can we trust them in future?

The DA has forgotten that it’s suppose to be an opposition party. If DA supporters don’t steer the party in a moral direction, instead of supporting each move based on their fear of the ANC, the DA will continue to become the ANC.