LETTER | SA’s opposition needs to do more than simply oppose

SA’s opposition has spent decades perfecting the art of resistance and almost no time mastering the discipline of understanding. The result is an opposition culture that speaks loudly, argues endlessly, and yet struggles to persuade the very majority it seeks to govern. What if the problem is not messaging, leadership, or resources, but posture?

Opposition politics in SA has been built on the assumption that exposing the ANC’s failures is enough. Whether we like it or not, the ANC voter still constitutes the emotional and historical majority of this country. A serious alternative must begin with a deep and honest study of the ruling party itself, not only its policies but its character. The ANC is not merely an electoral machine; it is a political home, a liberation memory, a moral reference point, and a social network.