DA nominates new leadership ahead of Federal Congress

The Democratic Alliance (DA) opened nominations for the election of its leadership on 5 March 2018 ahead of Federal Congress, which is set to take place on 7 and 8 April 2018, at the Tshwane Events Centre. Nominations closed at 23:59 on Friday, 16 March 2018.

This will be the largest congress in the history of the party, drawing over 2 000 delegates from all parts of the country, and will be reflective of the fact that the DA is the most diverse party in South Africa. The DA has exponentially grown since 2015, when it had just over 1200 delegates.

The congress is being held in the Tshwane metro, where the DA-led coalition government is making great strides in fighting corruption and improving services. As the nation’s capital, the choice of venue is also symbolic of the DA’s objective of becoming a party of national government.

The congress will also showcase how the DA is the only party to have grown through every election in democratic South Africa and how, as a party that governs 16 million South Africans, it has made significant progress in delivering to South Africans since the last congress in 2015.

The nomination process is the first step towards electing leadership that will take the party through the campaign season, to 2019 and beyond.

In terms of the clause 6.1.4 of the Federal Constitution, “The Federal Congress elects the Leader, the Federal Chairperson and the [3] Deputy Federal Chairpersons.”

Furthermore, the members of the Federal  Council (155 members) will receive an additional ballot paper that will allow them to vote for the Chairperson and (two) Deputy Chairperson(s) of Federal Council, as well as the Federal Chairperson of Finance, in terms of clause 6.2.4.1 of the Federal Constitution.

A constitutional amendment has been moved by the constitutional review committee to elect two (2) deputy chairpersons of the Federal Council which will be voted on during the congress.

As the DA Federal Congress Chief Electoral Officer, I have the pleasure of announcing the following candidates which have been nominated:

Federal DAWN Leader:

·  Gaibie, Shehana Bibi

·  Mbombo, Nomafrench

·  Mvenya, Veliswa

Deputy Federal DAWN Leader:

·  Adams, Arlene

·  Stanfley, Safiyia Hajeera

Federal DAWN Additional Members:

·  Botha, Lorraine Juliette

·  Campbell-Cloete, Beatrice Aletta Susanna

·  Molefe, Martha Obakeng

·  Motale, Sandy Kgaogelo

·  Nene, Salamina Nokuthozana

·  Stanfley, Safiyia Hajeera

·  Van Minnen, Benedicta Maria

·  Weber, Annerie Maria Magdalena

Federal Youth Leader:

·  Machaba, Lincoln Mohoboya Uriah

·  Mphithi, Luyolo

·  Peterson, Katlego Clement

·  Xabiso Nicholas, Nyati

Federal Youth Chairperson:

·  Badroodien, Zahid Ahmed

·  Bagamela, Nomayeza Ida

·  Nonkelela, S'Thembele

·  Plaatjie, Yongama Maranatha

Deputy Federal Youth Chairperson:  Administration:

·  Ncube, Mlungisi Wesley

·  Plaatjie, Yongama Maranatha

Deputy Federal Youth Chairperson:  Training and Development:

·  De Wet, Henning Petrus Cornelius

·  Mnikati, Sandile

Deputy Federal Youth Chairperson:  Media and Publicity (Uncontested):

·  Selowa, Dikeledi

Deputy Federal Youth Chairperson:  Recruitment and Campaigns (Uncontested):

·  Mzindhle, Bruce Samukele

Federal Finance Chairperson:

·  George, Dion Travers

·  Lees, Robert Alfred

Deputy Chairperson of Federal Council:

·  Hoosen, Mohammed Haniff

·  Mazzone, Natasha Wendy Anita

·  Ramulifho, Nkhumeni

·  Walters, Thomas Charles Ravenscroft

Chairperson of Federal Council (Uncontested):

·  Selfe, James

Deputy Federal Chairpersons:

·  Mabula, Rollence Molamu

·  Mafanedza, Ndwakhulu Greaterman

·  Meyer, Ivan Henry

·  Molapo, Nkele

·  Nt’sekhe, Refiloe

·  Thwala, Dumisani Sibusiso

·  Van Der Walt, Desiree

·  Waters, Michael

Federal Chairperson:

·  Lotriet, Annelie

·  Msimanga, Solly Tshepiso

·  Trollip, Roland Athol Price

Federal Leader (Uncontested):

·  Maimane, Mmusi Aloysias

Congress Logistics:

The accreditation process will be open to the media on the 26^th of March 2018, where members of the media can email the details of their respective media houses to [email protected]. The media will be able to get accredited on Friday the 6^th of April at the venue, the Tshwane Events Centre.

In addition, a host of policies will be debated, refined and adopted at the Federal Congress.

The pre-congress programme will be concluded with a press conference at the venue on Thursday the 5^th of April where the media can have a guided tour of the venue and be briefed on the logistics for the weekend of the congress.

The key contact people for this congress will be myself and Mabine Seabe for any queries that the media may have.

Conclusion:

The DA is proud of the fact that provincial congresses were conducted with no disputes declared. All processes as envisioned by the Federal Constitution were followed and we are able to constitute the Federal Congress smoothly.

The DA is readying itself for national government as the only alternative to the ANC. We have proven where we govern that we can deliver a government that is corruption-free and can deliver for all. We demonstrated this sufficiently in the metros of Tshwane, Johannesburg, Nelson Mandela Bay and Cape Town, as well as in the Western Cape at large.

Statement issued by Anchen Dreyer, DA Federal Congress Chief Electoral Officer, 18 March 2018