PHUTI MOSOMANE
JOHN Steenhuisen has been re-elected as the Federal Leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA) at the party’s Federal Congress held on Sunday.
Steenhuisen edged out challenger Mpho Phalatse to win another three-year term as the party’s leader.
Phalatse gave the experienced incumbent a tough race, only to fall short during the election on Sunday.
Steenhuisen first assumed the role of DA interim leader in November 2019, following the resignation of Mmusi Maimane, and was elected federal leader in November 2020.
In his acceptance speech, Steenhuisen told congress delegates: “I want to thank every DA delegate, public representative, activist, member and supporter who has placed such overwhelming trust in me to serve as Federal Leader for a second term.”
And in preparation for the “moonshot” 2024 general elections, Steenhuisen announced that the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the ANC were now the party’s main political opponents.
He added that the DA’s “moonshot pact” should do everything in its power to stop the ANC-EFF “Doomsday Coalition”.
According to Steenhuisen, DA is the only party in South Africa capable of preventing the formation of this “Doomsday Coalition” between the ANC and EFF.
In 2019, the ANC won the election with 57.5% of the vote, while the DA got 20.77%, the EFF 10.79%, the IFP 3.38% and the FF 2.38%. All other parties got less than 1%.
“Given the fact that the ANC now officially co-governs with the EFF in parts of Gauteng, we need to start taking the threat of these parties ganging up to destroy our country in 2024 very, very seriously,” Steenhuisen told congress delegates.
“I want to be unequivocal about the DA’s view on this: the day that an ANC-EFF government takes over, it will be Doomsday for South Africa … That is why, during the remaining months before next year’s election, the DA will make it our number one priority – and do absolutely everything in our power – to prevent an ANC-EFF Doomsday Coalition from taking power.”
He stated that the harsh reality is that the Doomsday Coalition comprising the ANC and EFF has already seized control of Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni, with the assistance of their smaller proxies.
“Next year, it will be knocking on the doors of the Union Buildings, next door from here, in Pretoria,” said Steenhuisen.
“The EFF Doomsday Coalition will expropriate property without compensation and abolish private property rights. The EFF Doomsday Coalition will nationalise and destroy foreign investment, businesses, banks and mines. The EFF Doomsday Coalition will plunge this country into ethnic and racial conflict the likes of which it has never witnessed before.”
“The DA took decisive legal steps and mobilised our thousands of branches all across this country to stop the EFF dead in their tracks … Today, I publicly declare Julius Malema’s EFF political enemy number one of the DA … And I commit the DA to fight back against the EFF at every turn, with the ultimate aim of defeating the doomsday coalition that could seal SA’s fate.”
The results of the elections are as follows:
Federal Leader:
John Steenhuisen
Federal Chairperson:
Dr Ivan Meyer
Deputy Federal Chairpersons:
1st Deputy: JP Smith
2nd Deputy: Solly Malatsi
3rd Deputy: Anton Bredell
Chairperson of the Federal Council
Helen Zille, elected uncontested
Deputy Chairpersons of the Federal Council
1st Deputy: Ashor Sarupen
2nd Deputy: Annelie Lotriet
3rd Deputy: Thomas Walters
Chairperson of Federal Finance:
Dr Dion George, elected uncontested.
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