Sithembiso Ngema was elected new provincial leader of the DA in KwaZulu-Natal at a conference held in Durban on Saturday.
Image: DA website
Sithembiso Ngema has been elected the new DA KwaZulu-Natal leader, taking over from Francois Rodgers.
He was elected at a conference held in Durban on Saturday.
Delivering a short handover speech, Rodgers said he dedicated 30 years of his life to the party, 15 of which were mainly spent focusing on leadership.
He stated that this dedication robbed him of quality time with his family.
Ngema and MP Mzamo Billy were nominated for the party's provincial leader position.
Ngema’s deputy is Martin Meyer, the MEC for Public Works and Infrastructure, while Dean Macpherson was elected as the provincial chairperson.
Macpherson’s deputies are Swelakhe Shelembe, Sakhile Mngadi, and Sandile Mnikathi.
In what could be interpreted as campaigning for the upcoming local government elections, newly elected DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis opened the conference by declaring that his party was ready to govern the municipalities.
He said when voters go to the polls on November 4, they should see how the DA, under Mayor Chris Pappas, improved service delivery in uMngeni Municipality, outside Pietermaritzburg, so that they could choose a different path.
Hundreds of DA delegates converged on Saturday at the Olive Convention Centre in Durban for the conference to elect Rodgers' replacement; Rodgers will remain the Finance MEC in the Government of Provincial Unity.
Hill-Lewis said under the DA, the tourist attraction, uMngeni Municipality, would not be an exception in the province, but a beginning, as it proves the party can govern in KwaZulu-Natal well.
“It is proof that where the DA is given a chance, we can bring competence, accountability, and delivery, but we must not stop there. We must fight for eThekwini with everything we have because Durban should be one of the great cities of Africa.
“It should be a city of growth, tourism, trade, port-led development, clean beaches, reliable services, safe communities, and pride,” he said.
He stated that under his party, eThekwini has the potential to improve service delivery, including providing clean beaches, running taps, and safe streets.
“KZN’s municipalities can serve you again, but only if voters choose change (and) if voters choose a party that knows how to govern, and that is the DA. This is the promise we must make across South Africa, we are building a DA that governs well for all.”
Hill-Lewis, who is the City of Cape Town mayor, called on party members to go out to recruit young people, whose age qualifies them to vote for the first time, to exercise their democratic right.
“Before we get to election day, we must first win the registration campaign,” he said.
He said voters do not deserve just any councillor, but people who will rebuild their broken municipalities.
“It (elections) will decide whether residents get more excuses, or whether they get working streetlights, clean water, reliable refuse removal, safer communities, better roads, and municipalities that answer when people call. It will decide the direction of our country,” the leader said.
He said that where the DA governs, it must govern with excellence because communities are tired of politicians who will say anything for power and do anything to keep it.
“The DA must be different.”
However, he did not rule out the possibility of the election results producing hung municipalities, saying that where the DA governs in coalitions, there must be constructive principles.
“The Provincial Government of Unity here in KwaZulu-Natal is an important test. It shows that the DA is prepared to step into difficult spaces, to take responsibility, and to contribute to stability and reform. But let us be clear. A coalition government must never mean the surrender of DA values.
“We are ready to retain uMngeni, ready to fight for Durban, ready to grow in rural communities, ready to govern in coalitions without losing our principles, and ready to build towards 2029,” Hill-Lewis said.
While waiting for the result of the vote for the new leaders, outside the venue, party leaders, including Pappas and Rodgers, told the members of the public through the party’s social media broadcaster to vote for the DA in the local government elections.
Rodgers said he was happy with the election of the new leader, who will give the party new ideas and energy.
“Over the past 15 years in the leadership role, I have built a good foundation, unity, and discipline in our party. We have a municipality, and we are in the Government of Provincial Unity, and we need to take it a step further.
“I am really excited that the DA is the only hope for the province and local government,” said Rodgers.
Party’s Federal Chairperson Solly Msimanga said Durban would be the next city to be governed by the DA, which is already in charge of Cape Town.
“We are here to rubber-stamp our commitment to the people of KZN and many other municipalities, including uMngeni. We are here to put leadership that is going to lead the role to ensure that come November, the DA is in full charge of KZN municipalities,” said Msimanga.
Asked to comment on the Constitutional Court judgment regarding President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala scandal, DA national spokesperson Karabo Khakhau said the party did not enter the Government of National Unity out of being in love with the ANC.
“The bottom line is that you cannot trust the ANC to govern alone, as they have shown us over the 32 years that they have zero capacity to govern alone.
“The Phala Phala judgment is the one that gives us the opportunity to be who we are as the DA: a party that is anti-corruption and that will never compromise principles and values for political convenience.
“It does not matter that the judgment is against the president because there is no politician who is safe from accountability or above the rule of law,” said Khakhau, adding that the DA will use Parliament to hold Ramaphosa accountable.