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The IRR is not just any polling outfit. Its leadership and affiliates have long blurred the lines between think tank and political shop. Helen Zille, the Chairperson of the Federal Council of the DA, served as a senior policy fellow there. Gwen Ngwenya, the DA’s former Head of Policy, was its COO. Gareth van Onselen, the DA’s ex-communications head, ran its Politics and Governance desk. Even the party’s youngest MP, Mlondi Mdluli, previously managed campaigns for the IRR. These are not passive alumni; they are ideological insiders.
The cracks were visible from the beginning. The ANC and DA may have signed onto a Government of National Unity with other parties, but they brought with them sharply divergent views on economic policy, transformation, land reform, and the role of the state. For months, public disagreements played out in statements, press briefings, and committee meetings, all while the country watched, wondering how long the arrangement could hold.
The cargo reaches American shores, but before it can be enjoyed, the price swells. Previously, a minor import duty nudged the cost up slightly. Now, with a 30% tariff slapped on, that R100 bottle, or box, or crate, lands with a hefty R130 price tag before a single customer has set eyes on it. A tough sell when goods from other countries are unburdened by such penalties, sit beside it.