Provincial leaders for women and youth elected:

THE DA in the Eastern Cape elected new leadership for its women’s network and youth formation at the weekend.

Buffalo City councillor Mawethu Kosani was elected to lead the party’s youth structure, while Nelson Mandela Bay councillor Georgina Faldtman was given the nod to lead the DA Women’s Network (Dawn).

The two elective congresses, which took place in Komani on Saturday, were graced by the party’s provincial leaders, including provincial head Nqaba Bhanga and deputy chairman Bobby Stevenson.

Bhanga said yesterday both congresses had been successful and had served their purpose, which was to fairly elect credible leadership.

“I believe both congresses elected the right people who will be able to drive our powerful 2019 national election campaigns within the structures and in turn grow the organisation.

“Mawethu and Georgina have both served as councillors and are well vested in the policies of the organisation. We are in good hands,” Bhanga said.

Kosani said his main task was to revitalise the party’s branch participation as an engine to drive the 2019 election campaign.

“We have an impressive membership in Daso [DA Student Organisation] which has the same young people we need in the DA Youth, but somehow we have not managed to translate our Daso participation into DA branch capacities. We intend to change that,” Kosani said.

Faldtman said the 60 delegates who elected her would have to help her rebuild and grow Dawn.

She would, meanwhile, continue to mobilise non-government organisations to assist in the fight against sexism on all fronts.

“We will continue to grow Dawn and mobilise women to destroy the stereotype that certain positions are traditionally reserved for men only,” she said.

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