And so, after retiring from politics for just more than two years, Athol Trollip has re-entered the political arena.
When the news first surfaced that Trollip — former mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay — was going to be ActionSA’s surprise new recruit, it naturally garnered national interest because his political credentials are solid.
From MP, to DA Eastern Cape leader and eventually national federal chair of the party, Trollip is what one would call a “big fish”, particularly for a new party like ActionSA hoping to increase its national footprint.
But why should SA care about this development?
For one, it is good for democracy in that it strengthens opposition politics and widens the pool from which South Africans can choose.
An active, robust opposition is good for SA and it is something sorely lacking in the body politic.
The DA, which has been fighting internal battles and a rapid decline in support — as is evidenced by the 2019 and 2021 election outcomes — has been falling short on this, more so over the last couple of years.
The party is likely to be hit the hardest by this move, particularly in the Eastern Cape.
Though the brand of the DA is strong — and perhaps stronger than Trollip’s brand — the party has long since moved away from the image it was trying to project as a party for all South Africans.
Legitimate concerns about the DA’s stance on racial transformation has cost it votes from prospective black voters who are disillusioned with the ANC and are looking for a viable alternative.
It is for this reason that the DA will continue to find it difficult to convince the majority of South Africans that it is a legitimate vehicle for change, and that is where ActionSA is likely to benefit.
Love him or hate him, Trollip is a formidable politician and his re-entry into politics should have them all sitting up and taking notice, particularly the party he knows the inner workings of and spent decades growing in the Eastern Cape.
HeraldLIVE