Cape Town - While the focus on the DA leadership contest in the Western Cape is key – as this is where the party governs at provincial level and in most of the councils – the opposition party has quietly changed its leadership profile in other provinces.
Young up-and-coming black leaders and the more established black politicians, who frequently also serve as MPs or MPLs, have made their mark to come out tops in contested leadership fights over the past six months.
In the Eastern Cape, Athol Trollip may have been re-elected leader, but the chairman is Veliswa Mvenya, an MPL who won over previous incumbent Edmund van Vuuren at the party’s November 2014 provincial congress.
In Limpopo, Jacques Smalle is serving another term as provincial leader after staving off a challenge, with Langa Bodlani, also an MPL, as chairman. MPs Solly Malatsi and Desiree van der Walt serve as deputy chairpersons.
In Mpumalanga, James Masango, a DA MP, was recently elected provincial leader with Jane Sithole, the former deputy provincial leader, as his chairwoman. Former DA provincial leader Anthony Benadie stepped down, but confirmed this week he would contest for deputy chairman of the federal council under James Selfe, who is again nominated for federal council chairman.
Gauteng saw the re-election of DA leader John Moodey, also the provincial legislature DA caucus leader, with Solly Msimanga as chairman after long-standing incumbent Mike Moriarty stepped down from that position. Msimanga has come through the ranks as Pretoria councillor and Tshwane regional boss.
In Joburg, which the DA claims as its largest region with steady growth, Khume Ramulifho was re-elected regional chairman and may be well positioned for nomination as mayor candidate for the 2016 municipal poll.
This weekend the Northern Cape DA holds its congress, to be followed by provincial elective gatherings during April in the Western Cape, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal, where a public Facebook lobbying campaign for incumbent Sizwe Mchunu has raised heckles. The North West DA will go to congress only in June.
Political Bureau