Newly elected Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen has made an appeal to all DA members not to let their guard down and focus on bringing the ANC below 50 percent in the 2024 general elections.
Steenhuisen was contesting the leadership position with former Johannesburg Mayor Doctor Mpho Phalatse.
The DA will now be led for the next three years by Steenhuisen.
He thanked the more than 2 000 delegates attending the DA Federal Congress in Midrand, Johannesburg, and party members, for trusting him to lead the party again. He says now is the time for all DA members to hit the ground running and work towards building the party.
“South Africans now expect us to step up and be a leader of an alternative government in South Africa. What they demand of us above all else, is for the DA unite all the forces in this country, that stand opposed to the ANC and EFF. What they want is for the DA to lead and lead is what we shall do.”
Steenhuisen says a coalition government at national or provincial level between the EFF and the ANC, would be terrible for South Africa. He says it is now time for the DA to ensure that, in the runup to the 2024 general elections, groundwork is done to grow the party’s support.
He says he will go all out to make sure that the ANC dips below 50 percent next year.
“There’s an increasing realistic prospect of an alliance between the ANC and the EFF taking power next year. Given the fact that now the ANC co-governs with the EFF in parts of Gauteng, we need to start taking the threats of these parties ganging up to destroy our country in 2024, very very seriously. I want be equivocal about the DA stance on this, the day the ANC EFF government takes over, it would be Dooms day for South Africa.”
In other elections held during the party’s Federal Congress, Helen Zille was unchallenged and retained her position as Chairperson of the Federal Council. Ashor Sarupen, Annelie Lotriet and Thomas Walters were elected Deputy Chairpersons of the Federal Council. Federal Chairperson Dr Ivan Meyer was also re-elected and his deputies will be JP Smith, Solly Malatsi, and Anton Bredell.
Dr Dion George was elected unopposed as the DA’s Federal Finance chairperson.
Announcement of the DA’s leadership
