Staff Reporter
DA leader John Steenhuisen and KwaZulu Natal member of the provincial legislature Mbali Ntuli, will go head to head on Saturday as the party begins its virtual elective congress, where 2000 delegates will elect new leaders.
Campaign teams for Steenhuisen and Ntuli have been hard at work over the past few days to lobby support for their candidates. Whoever is elected the new DA leader today, will lead the party to the crucial local government elections next year.
Ntuli has vowed to change the DA from being a party that only represent the interests of the minority to a party that belongs to all South Africans.
“The entire country is talking about our congress and waiting in anticipation for the decision you will make,” said Ntuli in an open letter addressed to DA delegates on Friday. She added: “The choice before us is a simple and straight forward one. Do we pull together and build the DA into a party for all South Africans and work towards becoming the governing party in SA, or do we work towards just stabilizing the party and accepting we will always be in opposition, said Ntuli
Steenhuisen supporters believe he’s the right man for the DA’s top position as he has demonstrated over the past few months as acting party leader that he was committed to stabilising the party.
Nicole Graham, the party’s eThekwini caucus leader, said Steenhuisen would bring stability and direction for the party if elected.
“There has been from the start with John a very clear policy platform and that for me is what I believe we need to get back to as the DA. The last couple of years the DA has been all over the show on too many issues.”
DA Gauteng MPL Mike Moriarty is expected to contest Helen Zille for the powerful position of Federal Council chairperson. Interim Federal chairperson Irvin Meyer will contest for the position uncontested.
The theme for DA’s elective Federal Congress is Real Hope. Real Change. Now.
