By-election losses embarrass DA leaders
MPs urged to beef up efforts in communities as support drops in five DA-held seats and party loses two wards
The DA’s federal executive is “deeply concerned” over a series of by-election results that show the party is continuing to bleed voters to the Freedom Front Plus and is losing wards to the ANC. The DA has been unable to curb losses in by-elections since the 2019 general election in May, when it failed to grow its support nationally for the first time since its formation. While it was expected that there would be a target on DA leader Mmusi Maimane’s back after the DA’s losses, the federal executive rallied around him in May.
The DA’s federal executive is “deeply concerned” over a series of devastating by-election results that show the party is continuing to bleed voters to the Freedom Front Plus and is losing wards to the ANC.
The DA has been unable to curb losses in by-elections since the 2019 general election in May, when it failed to grow its support nationally for the first time since its formation.
It is particularly concerning given that the local government elections are a mere two years away, and the DA hopes to win metros such as Johannesburg and Tshwane with an outright majority.
The trend in the general election showed that DA voters, mainly seen as being white and conservative, moved their votes to the FF Plus, while some voters shifted to the ANC.
This has continued in different rounds of by-elections held since May, with the most recent taking place last week.
The DA lost support in five DA-held seats and lost one ward outright in Potchefstroom to the FF Plus, as well as one ward in Saldanha to the ANC.
Following a meeting of the DA’s federal executive this past weekend, the party’s top brass said they have reflected on the results of the by-elections that had taken place since May.
“We are deeply concerned with the results, especially where we have lost ground,” DA spokesperson Solly Malatsi said on Saturday.
He said that the federal executive has consequently urged all DA MPs to intensify their efforts in communities during their two-week constituency period. Parliament is in recess until October 4 and will reopen on October 7.
Malatsi said that provincial leaders must also continue their engagements with the party’s structures, “as we build towards the 2021 local government elections”.
OUTCOME OF REVIEW
The by-election outcomes also come as the party’s structures and processes are being reviewed after the loss of support in May.
The outcome of the review is expected at a meeting of the DA’s federal council in October.
While it was expected that there would be a target on DA leader Mmusi Maimanes back after the DA’s losses, the’federal executive rallied around him in May.
It is understood that during the federal executive meeting Maimane proposed having an early congress in 2020 at which the DA’s next leaders would be elected, but that this was rejected by the party’s top brass.
Malatsi said the proposal for an early congress was rejected because the federal executive decided this “would be undesirable given that the current leadership was elected as recently as 18 months ago”.
It is unknown whether the issue of an early congress will be raised when the federal council, the party’s highest decisionmaking structure between congresses, meets in October.