Mamphela Ramphele
stands next to Helen Zille during a press conference last week where she
was announced as the Democratic Alliance's presidential candidate.
Photograph: Rodger Bosch/AFP/Getty Images
A historic pact enabling South Africa's main opposition party to field a black presidential candidate for the first time has collapsed in less than a week.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) accused anti-apartheid stalwart Mamphela Ramphele of reneging on a deal to join the party before this year's elections and said "she cannot be trusted".
The acrimonious end to one of the shortest, most shambolic political marriages in history underlines the struggle of South Africa's numerous opposition parties to mount a united challenge to the two-decade dominance of the African National Congress (ANC).
Last Tuesday the DA, eager to shake off its reputation as a party reflecting white interests, paraded Ramphele – a co-founder of the black consciousness movement who was mother to Steve Biko's children – as its candidate for president.
Kissing and embracing DA leader Helen Zille at a press conference in Cape Town, Ramphele declared: "We are taking away that race card and putting it in the dustbin."
But media reports suggested the united front was a facade amid confusion over the fate of Ramphele's own party, Agang SA, whose members angrily complained that they had not been informed.
By Friday Ramphele had issued a statement publicly contradicting the DA's claim that she would accept DA membership and insisting she is still leader of Agang SA.
After crunch talks on Sunday, the DA announced that the deal was off. Zille, a long-time friend of Ramphele who revealed Biko's death in custody during her days as a journalist, said: "Dr Ramphele reneged on the agreement that she stand as the DA's presidential candidate, and that Agang SA's branches, members and volunteers be incorporated into the DA.
"This about-turn will come as a disappointment to the many South Africans who were inspired by what could have been a historic partnership."
Ramphele, a 66-year-old medical doctor, academic and businesswoman, had been in talks with the DA since early last year but turned down its initial offer to launch Agang SA, only to return to the negotiating table after her party made little impact.
Zille added: "By going back on the deal, again, just five days after it was announced, Dr Ramphele has demonstrated – once and for all – that she cannot be trusted to see any project through to its conclusion. This is a great pity.
"Since Tuesday's announcement, Dr Ramphele has been playing a game of cat and mouse – telling the media one thing, Agang supporters another thing and the DA another.
"It is not clear what her objective is, but whatever it is, it is not in the interests of the South African people."
South Africa's Sunday Times reported that Ramphele and Zille had a "frosty exchange" less than an hour before Tuesday's press conference after Ramphele suggested that she would be presidential candidate for both the DA and Agang SA.
The now ex-spokesman of Agang SA found out about the DA deal just an hour before the press conference, the paper added.
Many political commentators were sceptical from the start. Eusebius McKaiser, author of the new book Could I Vote DA?, said the DA had been "panic stricken" and "tried to pull a fast one" over voters by parachuting in a black candidate.
"It's a demonstration of what happens when you make a hasty decision without due diligence. It was a massive and avoidable political blunder on the part of the DA."
The spectacular disintegration of the dream ticket is likely to afford some schadenfreude to the ANC, which, while assured of victory, is facing its toughest election yet.
McKaiser added: "For the ANC it's a gift. The embarrassment speaks for itself. Mamphela Ramphele's reputation is in tatters. The DA has been anxious to get a black African face irrespective of whether it's the right person."
The Democratic Alliance (DA) accused anti-apartheid stalwart Mamphela Ramphele of reneging on a deal to join the party before this year's elections and said "she cannot be trusted".
The acrimonious end to one of the shortest, most shambolic political marriages in history underlines the struggle of South Africa's numerous opposition parties to mount a united challenge to the two-decade dominance of the African National Congress (ANC).
Last Tuesday the DA, eager to shake off its reputation as a party reflecting white interests, paraded Ramphele – a co-founder of the black consciousness movement who was mother to Steve Biko's children – as its candidate for president.
Kissing and embracing DA leader Helen Zille at a press conference in Cape Town, Ramphele declared: "We are taking away that race card and putting it in the dustbin."
But media reports suggested the united front was a facade amid confusion over the fate of Ramphele's own party, Agang SA, whose members angrily complained that they had not been informed.
By Friday Ramphele had issued a statement publicly contradicting the DA's claim that she would accept DA membership and insisting she is still leader of Agang SA.
After crunch talks on Sunday, the DA announced that the deal was off. Zille, a long-time friend of Ramphele who revealed Biko's death in custody during her days as a journalist, said: "Dr Ramphele reneged on the agreement that she stand as the DA's presidential candidate, and that Agang SA's branches, members and volunteers be incorporated into the DA.
"This about-turn will come as a disappointment to the many South Africans who were inspired by what could have been a historic partnership."
Ramphele, a 66-year-old medical doctor, academic and businesswoman, had been in talks with the DA since early last year but turned down its initial offer to launch Agang SA, only to return to the negotiating table after her party made little impact.
Zille added: "By going back on the deal, again, just five days after it was announced, Dr Ramphele has demonstrated – once and for all – that she cannot be trusted to see any project through to its conclusion. This is a great pity.
"Since Tuesday's announcement, Dr Ramphele has been playing a game of cat and mouse – telling the media one thing, Agang supporters another thing and the DA another.
"It is not clear what her objective is, but whatever it is, it is not in the interests of the South African people."
South Africa's Sunday Times reported that Ramphele and Zille had a "frosty exchange" less than an hour before Tuesday's press conference after Ramphele suggested that she would be presidential candidate for both the DA and Agang SA.
The now ex-spokesman of Agang SA found out about the DA deal just an hour before the press conference, the paper added.
Many political commentators were sceptical from the start. Eusebius McKaiser, author of the new book Could I Vote DA?, said the DA had been "panic stricken" and "tried to pull a fast one" over voters by parachuting in a black candidate.
"It's a demonstration of what happens when you make a hasty decision without due diligence. It was a massive and avoidable political blunder on the part of the DA."
The spectacular disintegration of the dream ticket is likely to afford some schadenfreude to the ANC, which, while assured of victory, is facing its toughest election yet.
McKaiser added: "For the ANC it's a gift. The embarrassment speaks for itself. Mamphela Ramphele's reputation is in tatters. The DA has been anxious to get a black African face irrespective of whether it's the right person."
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