IT WAS inevitable that the opposition Democratic Alliance would arrive at its own Rubicon. The saga involving party stalwart Helen Zille, what she said or didn't say, what was meant or not meant, the affectations of white liberal insiders, the embarrassing grand old colonial edifice and all its p...

THERE has been quite a bit of commentary online about the kiss which went too far, namely the failed merger between Agang and the DA. With Cape Times columnist Max du Preez uncharacteristically calling it the "kiss of death" — the criticism, mostly from men, of the moment when it looked as if Sou...

A WEEK in South African politics is like a lifetime in the developing world. What started out as the "game-changing" realignment of South Africa's major opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, soon descended into acrimony and mudslinging with party leader Helen Zille fielding questions about t...

ULTIMATUMS usually end badly, especially in politics  The Democratic Alliance's pushing and shoving of presidential candidate Mamphela Ramphele this week, which saw the alliance forcing South Africa's first black female presidential nomination to walk the plank on Monday, does not bode well for S...

NEWS is emerging of the sweet-heart deal between the DA and Agang which got scuppered over the weekend. According to the Mail & Guardian, DA party leader Helen Zille says Mamphela Ramphele of Agang had agreed in principle that "Agang's branches and structures" would be folded into the Democratic...