uMngeni Municipality Mayor Chris Pappas has confirmed he will not contest any position at the upcoming DA provincial congress, leaving supporters disheartened as the leadership race intensifies.
Image: Tumi Pakkies Independent Newspapers
Crowd favourite uMngeni Municipality Mayor Chris Pappas has once again publicly reaffirmed his decision not to contest any positions at the upcoming Democratic Alliance (DA) KwaZulu-Natal provincial congress.
With current KZN provincial leader Francois Rodgers recently announcing that he will not be standing for the position, many viewed Pappas as the ideal replacement.
However, his announcement left many of his supporters disheartened ahead of the DA’s congress, which is set to take place in Durban on May 9.
Despite widespread calls from his supporters to enter the leadership race, Pappas took to social media platform Facebook on Wednesday to confirm his stance.
“I appreciate all the messages of encouragement and support, but I would like to reiterate that I will not be standing for any position at our upcoming DA Provincial Congress. I wish all the candidates for all the different positions well in their respective campaigns,” read the Facebook post.
The announcement drew mixed reactions.
Some supporters expressed disappointment and continued attempting to persuade him to run for a leadership position, while others accepted his decision and commended the work he has been doing as mayor.
With nominations for leadership positions due to close on Monday, two known contenders for the top KZN position include deputy leader Sithembiso Ngema and Mzamo Billy, a current member of the KZN provincial legislature.
In a statement circulated on social media, Ngema said: “As deputy leader, I have supported the leader’s office, ensured effective communication and defended the organisation.
“I’m proud of my performance and I’m ready to lead KZN to victory.”
Billy said he was honoured to accept his nomination for DA KZN.
“KZN is changing, the DA must grow, unite and prepare to win. The campaign is about building a bigger, stronger and united party,” Billy said.
Current KZN Public Works MEC Martin Meyer recently confirmed that he is vying for the deputy chairperson position.
Meyer kicked off his campaign under the banner of “Grounded in principles, shaped by experience, and tested in government”.
He said his history within the party and his direct involvement in government have equipped him with the skills necessary for effective leadership during these transformative times for the province.
He pledged to leverage his extensive background and experience to prepare DA councillors for the practical realities of governance, especially as the party anticipates engaging in coalition arrangements across various municipalities in the future.
The DA’s current provincial chairperson is Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson, who has expressed his desire to continue in the same position.
In a media statement, Macpherson said: “I am standing for re-election as the Provincial Chairperson. We have done so much over the last few years, from entering government to growing our structures, winning court cases and advancing our public representatives and activists. We are not done yet. The local government elections offer us many more opportunities to govern, and I am determined to get us there.”
At last week’s Democratic Alliance Federal Congress in Midrand, attended by around 2,400 delegates, Geordin Hill-Lewis was elected the party’s national leader, taking over from John Steenhuisen, while Solly Msimanga was elected Federal Chairperson, replacing Helen Zille.
The pair fought off stiff competition to emerge victorious and are now tasked with steering the party towards the upcoming local government elections.
During a media briefing on Thursday, DA Federal Congress spokesperson Luyolo Mphithi said the party believed it was on a trajectory towards national leadership.
“This is the DA’s largest congress to date, and when we met a few years ago for this same congress, no one believed that the DA would be in the national government, but here we are in the national government,” said Mphithi.
Political analysts offered mixed views on the party’s prospects. University of KwaZulu-Natal analyst Siyabonga Ntombela said the DA could grow its support by emphasising governance and anti-corruption within the GNU.
“Also, the ANC president once said the best-run municipalities are under DA leadership.
“These points will resonate with the middle class in particular,” he said.
Another UKZN analyst, Zakhele Ndlovu, said the DA still faced structural challenges in expanding its voter base.
“It has done well with minority groups such as Indians and Coloureds, but it needs the support of the black middle class to become the largest political party.
“I don’t see Hill-Lewis taking the DA to another level since it remains a lily-white party,” said Ndlovu.
DAILY NEWS