By Douglas Carew
There was plenty of fighting talk as Tony Leon launched the Democratic Alliance Election 2004 campaign in spectacular fashion at the Good Hope Centre on Saturday.
The crowd of thousands were seated on grandstands overlooking a stage resembling a boxing ring and Leon strode like a prize fighter under the spotlights, throwing verbal jabs and upper cuts at President Thabo Mbeki and the African National Congress.
"Bring it on," Leon yelled like Mohammed Ali taunting Smoking Joe Frazier. "As they say in boxing you can run, but you cannot hide."
The event pulled together elements from Las Vegas fight nights, Christian revivalist meetings and rock shows with sexy young singers, backed by thundering dance beats, taking to the stage to belt out hits by Bon Jovi and Ricky Martin.
Gone were the traditionally monotone speeches from talking heads cemented to a pulpit. Instead there was the hyperbolic flash usually associated with professional wrestling. And it left the estimated 3 000 supporters cheering and shouting their support.
The DA was at pains to paint itself as a dynamic party of many colours. Helen Zille took to the stage like a woman possessed. Dressed in a blood red outfit that was part Winnie Mandela part Betsie Verwoerd, Zille roared in English and Afrikaans but mostly Xhosa.
With MP Joe Seremane, Zille ensured that English and Afrikaans were not the only languages of the DA. Seremane called on the images of David fighting Goliath and the ant taking on the elephant. "The elephant never believed the ant could make him run. We are going to make the ANC run for cover."
With the speeches by the lower ranks out of the way it was time for Leon to make his dramatic entrance. The lights were switched off before he leapt onto the stage in an explosion of sparks and smoke.
Leon was not dressed in a silk hooded gown but he did proceed to throw verbal punches at his political opponents. "We are coming, you are going, get out of the way," he said.
Leon, switching between English and his sometimes flawed Afrikaans, then used every opportunity to repeat his party's new election slogan: "South Africa deserves better."
Criticising the ANC's 10 years in power, he called on his fans to consider the country's "missing millions".
"The eight million people out of work, the 21 million living in poverty, the quarter of a million murdered in the past 10 years, the five million infected with HIV and the billions of rands taken from the people in taxes, yet billions of rands unspent on improving people's lives."
He said the DA offered an alternative that went beyond criticism and offered solutions. The details would be spelt out when the party launched its manifesto in Soweto in two weeks' time, but Leon said he could outline the solutions.
These included creating a million jobs in five years by tripling the growth rate, boosting investment, rolling back the labour laws which "kept unemployed people out of work", by speeding up privatisation, helping small businesses and relaxing exchange controls.
Crime could be combated by putting 150 000 policemen on the streets by 2007, while free anti-retroviral drugs would be given to every South African living with Aids.
Leon also repeated the party's call for a basic income grant of R110 a month for people living in poverty. This could be financed through savings, re-allocations and "a slight adjustment" to the budget deficit.
There would also be no protection for corrupt politicians while the party would come up with "a road map for democracy in Zimbabwe".
"There will be no more treating with tyrants. With Robert Mugabe. We will confront evil," Leon said.
The party's targets for the election were to govern the Western Cape, to co-govern with the Inkatha Freedom Party in KwaZulu-Natal, become the official opposition in all other provinces and create "a mighty bloc in parliament" that would fight for real change.
Leon and his undercard of speakers put up an impressive display, but without a rival in the ring it was merely shadow boxing. Only election day will tell whether their punches pack any power.