DA Network to elect new leader at congress

THE Democratic Alliance Women’s Network (Dawn) in the Eastern Cape is set to elect a new leader at its upcoming provincial congress.

This after Celeste Barker, who has been leading the structure since 2011, indicated that she will not be standing for re-election on March 17.

The long-serving activist told the Daily Dispatch that in June she would be registering for a Law Degree to gain knowledge as she continues to serve the community.

“It is time that we usher in new leadership, give a chance to fresh blood. It has been a long fulfilling journey that has been categorised by activism, community engagement and a lot of learning on my part.”

The congress, which has already been postponed once, comes at a time when Dawn does not have regional representation in the province.

In the Eastern Cape, the provincial structure has previously been under the care of former DA provincial chair Veliswa Mvenya, who left in 2011 to pursue other roles in the DA.

Barker is known for her feminist views and publicly supported Mvenya’s bid to become the party’s provincial leader in the 2017. Mvenya lost her bid to MPL Nqaba Bhanga.

Barker, who has run an institute at Nelson Mandela University, still serves in the DA’s Provincial Executive Committee, and is set to serve the entire term until its next congress.