By Simon Nare
Anyone who opposes Geordin Hill-Lewis at the Democratic Alliance’s leadership congress in April will face “consequences”, a DA insider has claimed, as the party allegedly moves towards electing the Cape Town mayor unopposed as its federal leader.
Current federal leader John Steenhuisen announced last week that he will not seek re-election, saying he needed to guide the country through the Foot-and-Mouth disease crisis in his capacity as minister of agriculture, opening the way for “blue-eyed boy” Hill-Lewis to take the reins.
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The source told Inside Politics that the Government of National Unity “star performer” and Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube – previously the DA chief whip in parliament — has been “stuck between a rock and a hard place” because she harbours ambitions for the leadership role, but does not want to upset the hierarchy by contesting.
Gwarube has effectively removed herself from the race after telling Inside Politics that she is not seeking the position and remains focused on her responsibilities as minister.
“She has, however, indicated her willingness to consider a leadership role within the broader federal leadership structure and will communicate any such intentions through the party’s official nomination processes once they open,” a second source said.
The insider said DA deputy federal chairperson Solly Malatsi – who is also the minister of communications and digital technology — would not be contesting.
With Gwarube and Malatsi out of the picture, said the source, the party had been left with no senior contender and “no prospect of being led by [another] black leader anytime soon”.
While some reports have suggested DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimang and Hill-Lewis have emerged as frontrunners, Msimang has publicly downplayed any bid for the top job.
“Solly is not going to run for the leader of the party, that I can tell you without a shadow of doubt. I am being lobbied by other provinces and my own province for one of the senior positions which I am considering,” he told EWN at the weekend.
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The insider said Msimang’s stance has effectively cleared the path for Hill-Lewis, and helps explain why DA Federal Council chairperson Helen Zille has been increasingly open in praising him.
Zille, the insider claimed, commands a huge following and influence within the party “to an extent that anyone who crosses her path is as good as gone”.
Reports have linked Steenhuisen’s decision to step aside to a rift between the two — an allegation both have denied.
Zille has said the meteoric rise of Hill-Lewis — who was her chief of staff when she was Cape Town premier — in the DA leadership had nothing to do with her, telling News24 it instead had to do with his “exceptional capacity, his integrity, and his work ethic”.
But those with intimate knowledge of the party’s internal operations say Hill-Lewis was initially earmarked for a provincial position in the upcoming local government elections, before Steenhuisen’s withdrawal changed the equation.
“He is going to be elected unopposed, there is no doubt about that. Everybody in the DA knows he is the favourite. He is the blue-eyed boy at the moment. There is just no-one else,” said the insider.
“He is favoured by Helen Zille and once you have her in your corner in the DA you are guaranteed of a win.”
That view was echoed by political analyst Professor Bheki Mngomezulu, who was quoted by Independent Online as saying the DA’s leadership outcomes are ultimately shaped by Zille’s influence.
Mngomezulu told the publication that Hill-Lewis’s victory was a foregone conclusion given Zille’s publicly-stated sentiments.
“It’s a done deal. Helen Zille decides who is and who is out. If anyone doubts that, they should look at what happened to Mmusi Maimane. I said back then that he served at the behest of Zille and when there was a fallout he was gone,” he told the publication.
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A day after Steenhuisen’s announcement, Hill-Lewis posted on social media that many party members had approached him urging him to stand for the top job, but noted that the DAs internal rules only allow public campaigning once nominations open.
“That will happen later this month, which is when I will announce my intentions. Whatever is decided, I will remain committed to stand for a second term as the Mayor of Cape Town. It is the DA’s biggest government and our strongest platform as we head into the local elections.
“If I do stand for election as DA Leader, I would welcome a robust and principled process focused on competing ideas for the future of our party and our country. We have many excellent leaders, and an open exchange of ideas can only strengthen us,” he wrote.
He also thanked those who, he said, had reached out to him, saying it was an honour to be considered — and that whatever the outcome, “our focus must remain on serving every South African and building a country of hope”.
INSIDE POLITCS