SURVIVOR TH

SOU

Africa

The newest kid on the political block, the Economic Freedom Fighters, recently launched with a bang. But new and smaller opposition parties have struggled to survive in SA. Carien du Plessis looks at the road some of the notable parties have travelled, from skorokoros to superluxury sedans, and wonders which parties will survive the test of time

The General

The Crosstitute

The Two-headed Monster

The Lone Ranger

The Red Beret

Bantu Holomisa UDM, born 1997

Birth Holomisa teamed up with Roelf Meyer, formerly from the National Party, after he was expelled from the ANC. Meyer left eventually, and Holomisa is now the dominant gure in the party Target voters The party was initially meant to unite people across racial, historical, ideological and social lines, but now Holomisas support base exists largely in the former Transkei Survival rating? Holomisa can be compared to a tough Toyota Hilux bakkie, a workhorse who has survived as a politician from the apartheid days until today. He is trying to pull other parties behind him to unite the opposition. As he is useful, he will survive a while longer

Patricia de Lille Independent Democrats, born 2003

Birth De Lille made a name for herself ghting the arms deal. After becoming too big for the party, she walked out of the PAC and formed the Independent Democrats during the oor-crossing season of 2003 Target voters The party had appeal across racial lines, but now its supporters are largely coloured and black voters in Northern Cape and Western Cape. It is opposed to corruption and took positions issue by issue. In 2010, De Lille announced the party would merge with the DA and cease to exist after the 2014 general elections Survival rating? The Independent Democrats are like VWs Citi Golf, which has gone out of production even though there are still many on our roads

Mbhazima Shilowa/Mosiuoa Lekota Cope, born 2009

Birth After the ANC red Thabo Mbeki as president, a group of his loyalists left the ruling party to form a new party to contest President Jacob Zumas ANC. After a leadership struggle almost as old as Cope itself, a court this week ruled that Lekota is the rightful leader of the party. Shilowa has been expelled Target voters Cope had appeal across racial and class boundaries, and was hailed by the middle classes as a credible opposition party the country has been waiting for. The party still has pockets of support across the country, but probably wont reach the million votes it won in 2009 Survival rating? He is the new edition Volkswagen Beetle members of a very old party dressed up in a new design. But at the rate at which the party is now going, it is likely to be extinct before the last of the oldgeneration Beetles get conned to the scrapyard

Mamphela Ramphele Agang SA, born 2013

Birth After initially agreeing to go into business with the DA, Ramphele decided to wing it and start her own party, which pushes for citizens to become more involved in governance and build an effective public service. She also speaks a lot about black consciousness founder and her former lover, Steve Biko Target voters She appeals to the middle classes and students/intellectuals who dont want to vote for the ANC but who cant quite get themselves to vote for the DA either. She also has a big support base in rural Limpopo, where she is from Survival rating? Agang is like a Maybach, an exclusive and very pricy car (about R4 million for an entry-level model). Unlike these cars, which are usually chauffeur-driven, Ramphele drives Agang herself. This is the kind of car that will last only as long as the money does

Julius Malema Economic Freedom Fighters, born 2013

Birth Malema started the party after he was expelled from the ANC for ill-discipline in 2012. The party aims to give President Jacob Zuma grief and catapult Malema to the presidency Target voters The party is aimed at the black poor, dispossessed, disgruntled, the militant and just about anyone who used to like the ANC but who now thinks it sucks because it either didnt deliver a better life or merely because Zuma is in charge Survival rating? A fast, noisy HarleyDavidson, he will speed to the polls with a big roar and dodge obstacles, but when his long-lost parents in the ANC call him, he is likely to steer back home to the tasty food there