Any new voice welcome, By Rudzani Floyd Musekwa

New National Party South Africa? Whoa? Yes, that was exactly my response amid the news that that party would be re-launching in November this year (2008). Even though I was taken aback by the news, unlike former NNP leader, Marthinus Van Schalkwyk, I didn't find the news to be a joke, hence I am engaging in the matter through this platform.

As a young South African I actually find it very interesting a development that such is happening, or about to happen in our new South Africa with a maturing democracy. It is very unfortunate that in a country of almost 47 million people the official opposition is a good distance away from the ruling party when it comes to voting support. I have said it before in this space and elsewhere that it is very dangerous to have such an unhealthy state of politics where people vote historically, and not based on the performance of their organisations of choice.

In South Africa people still vote based on the colour of their skin where black people still favour black led organisations, and white people on white led organisations, and that, unfortunately, is a historic fact. Most voters, particularly black voters, do not vote based on what their party of choice is doing or has done for them, but rather they vote just to keep that party in power and hope for the best. A dangerous fact.

Just like playing in a team with a big name star, pass him the ball and wish him luck, it doesn't matter if the said athlete is fit or not fit, and usually the said individual will start to show arrogance by only pitching for training and matches only when, or if he wishes because he is guaranteed a place anyway, so why bother?

The ANC is practising such behaviour towards the people who vote for them because they (the ANC) are comfortable where they are. After all, didn't its current President once say that his party will rule until Jesus comes back?

The re-launching of the NNP SA will be talked about in the coming days, and good debates are most welcome in democratic states, right? Some people are going to criticise the party along racial lines before even making an effort to know what the party really stands for, while some are going to judge it on the failures made by the original NP, and its predecessor, the Marthinus van Schalkwyk led NNP.

While the ANC might make jokes of the NNP SA, there is one party that should really feel threatened by this new development, and that is the Democratic Alliance (DA). It takes no rocket science to know that DA currently enjoys a wide white following, particularly in major cities, and for the NNP SA to succeed they will need, first, to convince white South Africans of its intentions, historic voting as I mentioned earlier on. Only if South Africans voted based on what their party of choice was doing for them, than simply on blinded loyalty will we be in a real democratic state, sound democracy to be precise. There has been much talk lately about an alternative political party that will represent South Africa as a whole. Well, sexy idea, just like a teenager telling his sweetheart they will buy them a Range Rover when they can't even afford a packet of chips.

One of those things that are easier said than actually done. The good thing about the reformation such as the NNP SA is that it shows that there are South Africans who feel unrepresented in parliament, and they want their voices to be heard as well. And to me that is exactly what South Africa needs right now, different voices in pursuit of one common goal, a better South Africa for all.

The biggest downfall of the NNP SA, however, will be if it became a party for a few, by that I mean a party for a certain racial or tribal group. That will not only be a blunder by that party, but also a step backward to South Africa's efforts of being a united nation. Political Parties like the Inkatha Freedom Party and the Freedom Front Plus are good examples of how isolated a party can be if it tribalised itself.

Such parties are almost non-existent today thanks to such tribal thinking, only their leaders become more and more prominent as they grow weaker. Remember Gatsha Buthelezi? He is one such leader. This may be a crazy thought by a sane person (me), but we need a party without agendas, a party with the interests of South Africa as its standing point. We need the South Africa that will have parties at each other's throats in terms of voters.

Today the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), just like its historic brother, the ANC have two factions, totally divided while the IFP is a Shadow of its former self thanks to Gatsha and his crazy right hand men. South Africa needs a new voice, I am not sure if the NNP SA will be that voice that we so desperately need. Fact is we need it and what form it takes is of no relevance to me and are sure most sane South Africans feel the same way. I wish the NNP SA all of the best if it is for South Africans.

This first appeared in the Cape Times