CHARLES MOLELE
JOHN Steenhuisen was elected new leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA) at the party’s two-day virtual elective congress, attended by just over 2 000 delegates.
He won by 80% of votes cast.
Steenhuisen has been an interim leader of the party following the sudden resignation of Mmusi Maimane in October last year, saying despite his best efforts, the DA was ‘not the vehicle best suited to take forward the vision of building ‘One South Africa for All’.”
Steenhuisen contested for the top position against DA’s former youth leader Mbali Ntuli.
His victory will see him lead the Da, the largest opposition party in South Africa, in the 2024 presidential elections against the African National Congress, which has governed the country since the end of apartheid in 1994.
“I have travelled a long road in the DA. I fought to fix potholes in the roads when I was a councillor. I exposed corruption when I was a member of the KwaZulu-Natal legislature. I held presidents accountable as a member of Parliament. But never in my wildest imagination did I believe I would one day lead this great party, the Democratic Alliance,” said Steenhuisen.
“I did not run to become the leader of the DA for its own sake. I am here because I want to take the DA to greater heights in our fight for a country where each and every citizen has the power to build a dignified life. Today, I stand before you even more determined and energized than I was when I first climbed those stairs in front of City Hall.”
He said the task ahead of for the party will not be an easy one.
“Our country is in serious trouble, and the stakes have never been higher. When I look around me, I see despair and desperation; poverty and hunger. I see politicians blaming each other for what’s gone wrong, while people suffer,” said Steenhuisen, the former Chief Whip of the Official Opposition Democratic Alliance in the National Assembly.
“All of this is happening despite the fact that the vast majority of South Africans are warm-hearted, honest and hard-working people trying to build a future for their families. We are not a nation of thieves and criminals beset on destroying our country.”
Despite a fierce contestation, Steenhuisen extended his hand to Ntuli for giving him a run of his money during the leadership race.
“Mbali, you did not make this an easy race. You fought me every step of the way, and you never gave up,” said Steenhuisen.
“In doing so, you helped entrench a proud democratic tradition in our party: that we don’t anoint leaders here; we elect them. We choose our leaders on the basis of their ideas, the content of their character and their potential to lead our party into new territory. Long may this democratic tradition continue.”
Steenhuisen, 44, represented Durban North for 10 years until the 2009 General Election where he was elected leader of the DA caucus in the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature.
He was elected to the then Durban City Council in 1999 at the age of 22, making him one of the youngest councillors in the history of the City.
In 2006 he was elected the caucus leader of the official opposition on the eThekwini council and served on the City’s Executive Committee.
Full list of #DACONGRESS leadership results|
• Federal leader: John Steenhuisen
• Chairperson of the Federal Council: Helen Zille
• Deputy Chairperson of the Federal Council: James Masango
• Deputy Chairperson of the Federal Council: Thomas Walters
• Federal Chairperson: Dr Ivan Meyer
• First Deputy Federal Chairperson: Refiloe Nt’sekhe
• Second Deputy Federal Chairperson: Anton Bredell
(COMPILED BY INSIDE POLITICS STAFF)
