Party to elect new chairman

THE DA will have a new provincial chairperson who will be elected at the party’s provincial congress that will take place in Kimberley on January 27 and 28.

The chairmanship will be contested along with the provincial leadership and three vice-chairpersons.

The current party leader in the Province, Andrew Louw, is expected to retain his position, although other candidates have also submitted their names for the seat.

Louw stated that the provincial congress that would have been held in October last year, was postponed to allow ID members to participate in the elections.

The ID and DA will officially merge in 2014.

He believed that the new leadership would secure 30 percent of the votes in the Northern Cape.

He said that a presiding officer would be appointed to oversee the process and that the outcome would be announced at the congress that will be attended by DA leader, Helen Zille.

Roughly 300 delegates from the nine DA constituencies in the Northern Cape are also expected to attend along with members from the national office.

Current DA provincial chairman, Dr Allen Grootboom, indicated that he would not be standing.

“I am making way for new blood and will assume the role of media officer for the party.”

Grootboom, who served as chairman since 2008, will retain his position as DA chief whip in the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature as well as the party’s provincial spokesman on Education as well as Sport, Arts and Culture.

“The DA is confident that they have ensured transparent processes in terms of restructuring the DA structures and constituencies in the Province.

“The congress is expected to navigate the party’s way towards 2014 and will prove to be an important foundation stone in the realignment of South African politics, as well as growing the party’s support base in the Northern Cape.”

The ID national spokesman, Harold Mcgluwa, stated that all nine constituencies had nominated him for the chairmanship vacancy.

He was of the opinion that through the DA-ID merger, the opposition would oust the ANC out of power.

“Through coalition agreements, the opposition has already claimed four municipalities in the Northern Cape,” Mcgluwa added.