Scholarly Leader Is Pivotal

Mmusi Maimane's ascent to the position of leader of the DA may have ushered in a shift in the political landscape. For starters, he has brains, age and pigmentation on his side. Where he lacks experience in politics, his brains carry him through. That he is where he is today is enough proof that his mother didn't raise a blockhead. It takes a person with brains to beat party stalwarts and veterans such as Wilmot James whom he defeated in the race for the DA leadership position. One has listened to him argue in Parliament and in public and he certainly has a more impressive IQ than your average politician. His political opponents undermine him at their own peril. It is said that quality of leader is reflected, among other things, by the standards he sets for himself.

With two Master's degrees under his belt, Maimane has set himself high standards educationally. Since leaders are elected to legistlate for their people, a high score on the education matrix is definitely a major plus. In a country where the "pursuit for tender" has gained pre-eminence and the value of education and intellectual input is increasingly being undermined, Maimane might appeal to the educated class - which is increasing in numbers - from all racial backgrounds. Among some of the most educated political leaders in the world today are the likes of US President Barack Obama. Russia's Vladimir Putin, Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and UK's Prime Minister David Cameron. In this regard, Maiman is in good company.

At 35, he has age on his side. South Africa is predominantly a "young" country with most of its nearly 52 million people under 39 years of age, Statistics SA revealed at last count. Critically, South Africa's 2013 population estimates indicated there were 10.9 eligible voters between the ages of 18-29 - which made up 34 percent of the voting population. This age cohort presents immense opportunities for Maimane and will no doubt be his main fishing pond. When I looked at the televison images of Maiman being announced as the new leader of the DA, the only old (and white) person I saw on stage was Helen Zille. Otherwise, it was predominantly young people of colour celebrating on stage.

There is a seismic shift of age and race within the DA which could be reflective of our demographic in wider society. Looking at the state of youth politics in our country today, there is a perceptible sense of lack of interest by young people in the ideological bureacracy of the old left, let alone the right. Young protesters do not want or need anybody to be their voice - and this we saw at the University of Cape Town recently when they campaigned for the fall of Cecil John Rhodes's Statue. Their energy and creativity find expression through social media rather than through moribund formal organisational structures. So, even Maimane, he does not have a guarantee over this constituency but might just be, from what I saw on TV, the last hope that parliamentary and formal politics has something to offer the young.

His campain managers and strategists will have to work hard to understand and connect this audience - which is fast moving. But one thing is certain - that audienc is redefining itself and rejecting the old deferential structures of politics. The spectacular dissolution of the ANC Youth League and expulsion of some of its leaders was an early manifestation of this phenomenon. Will Maimane properly read what is fundamentally the reimagining of South African youth politics and take advantage of it? Only time will tell. The last thing he has to his advantage (and which may not be politically correct to say) is skin colour. Much as he, like his opponents in the ANC, stand for non-racialism, the reality is that the politics of race still matters in South Africa.

The racial identity of the candidate is a big factor. Should it be so? Not necessarily, and one hopes we will one day outgrow this. But South Africa is not unique in this regard. Obama won 93 percent of the black vote in the US - of course with a sizable chunk of the minorities and women. Maimane's rise as the first black leader of the DA portends a new electoral reality which could see a new progressive coalition emerging. Sucha coalition will constitute educated middle-class black and white people, the youth and minorities. But in his inclusive fervour, I would urge him not to lock outside the door the poor and marginalised. A broad church of sorts? I guess so. But it will make our politics interesting and give the voter real choice. I wish Maimane all the best as he enters a new phase of his political career.