DA will hold its elective congress in KwaZulu-Natal in the next two weeks.
Image: Itumeleng English/ Independent Newspaper
A total of 10 candidates will contest the position of a deputy provincial chairperson in the coming DA provincial congress in KwaZulu-Natal.
This was confirmed by the party’s congress presiding officers, Desire Van Der Walt and Bridgett Masango in a memorandum sent to the current provincial leadership following the closure of nominations last week.
Current deputy Speaker in the provincial Legislature Mmabatho Tembe and Umngeni Local Municipality deputy mayor Sandile Mnikathi are among the candidates that will fight for the position.
Others are party’s spokesperson for the provincial Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs portfolio committee Hannah Lidgett, spokesperson for the provincial Education portfolio committee Sakhile Mngadi, spokesperson on provincial Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Marlaine Nair, deputy chief whip in eThekwini municipality Xoliswa Mdlazi, Zululand party leader and councillor in Abaqulusi Local Municipality Swelakhe Shelembe, Msunduzi municipality councillor Nomathemba Phungula, eThekwini municipality councillor Thabani Ndlovu and the current deputy chairperson Hlengiwe Shozi who is also councillor in eThekwini.
For the chairperson position Dean Macpherson is vying for re-election and will face the eThekwini councilor Welekazi Sibiya. In the deputy leader’s position Public Works and Infrastructure MEC Martin Meyer will face Thembokwakhe Madonda and Bradley Singh while Mzamo Billy and Sithembiso Ngema will fight to lead the party in the province. Ngema is currently a deputy provincial leader while Billy is a member of Parliament and former eThekwini deputy caucus leader.
The congress will take place at Olive Convention Centre in Durban in two weeks.
A new leader’s first test will be to take the party into local government elections as it aims to take eThekwini and keep Umngeni Local Municipality, the only one it governs in the province. In eThekwini the party is expected to lead a coalition with IFP, ANC and small parties if it becomes the majority party. In the 2024 general election, the party became the second biggest party after Umkhonto weSizwe Party.
There is already suggestion that the relationship the party has with IFP and the ANC in the provincial government will be extended to municipalities after elections. The DA has a longstanding working relationship with IFP in municipalities which resulted in the parties sharing power in Umhlathuze Local Municipality after 2021 local government elections.
Meanwhile, the party’s provincial leadership will hold a media briefing where it is expected to launch a scathing attack on IFP for failing to act against uThukela District mayor inkosi Ntandoyenkosi Shabalala whom the party accuses of failing to ensure that residents of the district have water. The briefing will take place in Durban on Wednesday.
willem.phungula@inl.co.za