Pretoria - More than 1700 delegates have gathered at the Tshwane Events Centre in Pretoria for the Democratic Alliance's federal congress, where, among other things, some of the party's new leadership will be elected.
More than 50 resolutions are up for debate, mainly aimed at addressing unemployment. Issues include proposals to expand property ownership and abolishing value added tax (VAT). Other resolutions will be considered on land reform, social grants, and jail time for public servants misusing public money.
Two leadership positions - that of party leader Mmusi Maimane and federal executive chairman James Selfe - will not be contested. The race for federal chairman is between front-runners Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga and Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Athol Trollip.
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Trollip has been federal chairman since 2015. He has based his campaign for re-election on his commitment to uphold the DA's core values. He comes to the congress having recently survived a no-confidence motion that failed to get off the ground in the metro.