DA leaders mum on who will contest
WITH still more than a month left before nominations for the DA national leadership close, the party’s Eastern Cape leaders are playing their cards close to their chests.
As most leaders planning to contest positions at the DA’s federal congress have not indicated their desire to serve in the opposition party’s highest body, provincial bosses are yet to make up their minds who to back.
The congress will be held at the Boardwalk International Convention Centre on May 10.
The only position expected to be uncontested is that of DA leader Helen Zille, as party leaders believe she is on the right track.
Contesting the position would destabilise the party ahead of unpredictable local government elections next year. Nominations close on April 20. Although no one has publicly indi- cated a desire to contest the federal chairmanship – incumbent Wilmot James has announced his intention to step down – it is expected to be hotly contested.
Eastern Cape DA leader Athol Trollip, who also has ambitions of standing as mayoral candidate in Nelson Mandela Bay next year, said he was still consulting before deciding whether to contest the chairmanship.
“I have not heard of anyone from the Eastern Cape contesting,” he said.
It has been reported previously that Western Cape MPL Masizole Mnqasela and Western Cape leader Ivan Meyer were also in the running for the chairmanship.
Mnqasela was reported at the weekend as saying he would make an announcement later this week about his plans, while Meyer said he would make a decision after April 18 when he stepped down as provincial chairman.
As of next month, Trollip will be living in the Bay as he hopes to get the nod to lead the DA in what the party has confidently said would be a municipal poll victory.
Trollip said he had already been approached by Gauteng MPL Thomas Walters about backing him when he stood again as federal council deputy chairman, and by former Mpumalanga provincial leader Anthony Benadie.
Benadie is to contest one of the three deputy federal chairmanships.
Both Benadie and Walters yesterday confirmed their candidacy.
The incumbents are DA parliamentary leader Mmusi Maimane, Makashule Gana and Anchen Dreyer.
Gana has confirmed he would be standing for re-election. Maimane and Dreyer declined to comment.
Yesterday, Maimane said: “The key thing is always to consult with people, so at this stage I am not contesting any position. I will wait and see.”
DA Mpumalanga provincial chairwoman Veliswa Mvenya said the province was 100% behind Zille.
“You do not fix something that is not broken. We must not remove her for the sake of wanting change in leadership. We support Zille 101%.”
Walters said: “There is a good contest for positions, which is very healthy. There is a very good, very diverse, talented tier of leaders emerging as we are targeting 2016.”
Meanwhile, the DA also called on suitable candidates to apply to be the party’s Bay mayoral candidate by the end of this month.
Deputy provincial leader Bobby Stevenson said yesterday the party had called on any suitable candidates because “the DA is an open opportunity party”.
The electoral college to decide on a mayoral candidate would sit next month, Stevenson said.