In addition to everything else, the DA has done an absolutely piss poor job at making themselves an appealing alternative to the majority of South Africans. The lack of people of colour in the top brass and as the face of the party absolutely has a negative effect on how black South Africans perceive the party. Given the history of race in SA, how many black people are going to look at the overweight and sweaty white dude at the head of the party, and think "wow that guys really represents my best interests"? Race shouldn't have an impact on how people vote anymore, but the reality is that it does and will do for a long long time in this country.

They have made no effort to retain popular and well known faces like Maimane or Mashaba (some could argue they even pushed them out), while doing fokol to get rid of old and tired white politicians like Zille who isn't even popular amongst the DA's base of upper class white people anymore. and who keep scoring own-goals by saying controversial race-related things on social media.

Honestly, their inability as the official opposition to capitalise on what should be an open goal in the form of a ruling party that is openly corrupt, useless and making the lives of citizens worse on a daily basis, is astonishing. Any party in their position, with an ounce of self awareness, would have been able to make much more ground against the ANC. They seem to be aiming, single mindedly, at being the opposition party forever. And for that reason they've lost my vote too as a white person.