Ahead of the Democratic Alliance (DA) Federal Congress, which is to convene this weekend at the Tshwane Events Centre, the nation is told that you would table for discussion the inclusion of “diversity” in the party’s constitution as the fourth pillar of the party’s Values Charter. Really?

Is this happening, after 23 years of democracy, in a country where dispossessions, exclusions from economic and political opportunities, torture and dehumanisation befell the majority of the citizens on the basis of their race, gender and culture?

Is this happening in the face of Chapter 2 of the Constitution of our democratic dispensation which clearly outlines the sacrosanct Bill of Rights to promote inclusive society and united South Africa in its “diversity”, which was abhorrently undermined by 350 years of colonial rule and 60 years of the apartheid regime?

In all these years of the black man suffering, the indignity and wanton destruction of African families, the government or administration of the day was driven by one thing and only one thing, white supremacy, inclusion of whites and exclusion of blacks from the wealth of this country.

It is therefore laughable for your detractors, which I am convinced are largely white and their proxies, or should I say rightful heirs to the throne in the form of Gavin Davis and Michael Cardo, to take you to task in your Johnny-come-lately efforts to align the DA to the Constitution of the democratic dispensation.

In fact it is not only laughable and a tragedy of leadership for you and other black leaders in the DA like the Mayor of Tshwane, Solly Msimanga, to realise only now the importance of the deliberate promotion and recognition of “diversity” within your party, which for a very long time in your presence had shown a white superiority complex and disregard of blacks for leadership positions.

Mmusi, more often than not, you pat yourself on the back for the black membership growth in the DA and you always pontificate that it is the most diverse party in the country, but your delayed fight for inclusion of the pillar of “diversity” in the party’s constitution is not only a serious indictment on your leadership qualities, but also vindicates some of us who have been saying the DA is a party of black stooges and white bosses.

Your delayed proposition does not only suggest that you have finally woken up from slumber land, but also remains a serious indictment that under your watch the perpetuation of the status quo and apartheid vestiges continued at the expense of the black child.

Mmusi, have you ever heard of the premier of the Western Cape, Helen Zille’s modernisation policy which was launched in June 2009?

Let me school you for free on the intentions of this policy; it was meant to purge black professionals and technocrats in leadership positions, particularly Africans, and replace them with whites under the guise “to increase the administration’s capacity to deliver services to citizens”.

Indeed, black professionals, academics, doctors and advocates nogal became the victims of this sinister policy through among other things placing them in excess (sic) despite availability of vacancies. Is it the first time to hear of this policy and its devastating outcomes on the lives of black professionals, Honourable Maimane?

There are other examples where the DA has shown a white superiority complex and utter lack of faith in the capacity of blacks and women. And it is only puppets and lackeys who would have missed Zille’s predominantly white and all male cabinet and the recent all-white DA caucus leadership in eThekwini.

This is the party that you are proud of and you continue to lure other blacks to join or vote for while its rightful heirs to the throne continue to show a lack of interest in equal sharing of the wealth of this country with the previously disadvantaged majority of South Africans.

As they have done to Julius Malema, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters who wanted the DA to vote in favour of expropriation of land without compensation by virtue of the courting relationship between the two parties in Tshwane Metro, Johannesburg and Nelson Mandela Bay, the rightful heirs to the throne are likely to tell you where to get off and remind you that when you joined the DA you knew its position on “diversity”.

Why now do you want to change to suit your own agenda? This was the DA’s reaction to Malema on the heated question of land. And its bitter attack on the ANC’s resolution of expropriation of land without compensation must be attributed to the fact that, as much as “diversity” debate which is likely to divide your party along racial lines, the DA could not see a bigger picture of expropriation of Land without compensation beyond protection of ill-gotten white privileges.

Honourable Maimane, amid all the signs and evidence against transformation of the society to redress the past imbalances which are predominantly based on our diversity, particularly race and gender, do you still hope that you can change the DA to be an inclusive party for all to share the spoils? I do not want to burst your bubble, but I must say, you have no locus standi to succeed against the rightful heirs to the throne together with your supporters. Battle lines have been drawn, sawutya efileyo.

But before you pat yourself on the back and think that you have picked a good fight and lest you forget: It is a shame that in the month of the passing of our world renowned Struggle stalwart and veteran against the apartheid regime, Mama Winnie Nomzamo Madikizela-Mandela, the DA, the second largest political party in South Africa after the ANC and which also runs the Western Cape administration, is still grappling with the issues of diversity Mama Winnie fought for.

Some of the sung and unsung heroes and heroines have lost their lives in the struggle for recognition, appreciation and promotion of diversity in the country. Cognisant of this reality, your debate on “diversity” makes a mockery of our hard-earned democratic dispensation.

I therefore suggest to you, Honourable Maimane, and the other proponents of the inclusion of “diversity” in the DA’s constitution, do not waste your energy in a fight which can be won through vigorous implementation of existing ANC policies. The ANC is your former home and its doors are wide open and what you want to achieve within the DA already exists and it is a gospel truth within the ANC. Just come back home, Mmusi, before the rightful heirs to the throne show you the door because of your newly found transformation talks.

Ulibambela kaloku ungalibali.

Yours in the struggle for transformation in our lifetime. DM