DA PARLY ELECTION: Finishing Strong - We are confident we can win

We are now less than 48 hours away from the Democratic Alliance Parliamentary Caucus leadership election.

At this point, it is important to take stock of the campaign.

We said at the beginning that ours would be a positive campaign, focused on our fresh vision for the caucus, and our deep sense that this was an important moment for the Democratic Alliance.

We have done, and will continue to do, absolutely everything possible to earn the support of our fellow members of the caucus.

With 48 hours remaining, we feel that a sufficient number of our colleagues have pledged their support for our team. We knew this was going to be a close race. We have worked hard and are confident we can win.

But of course, a lot can happen between now and Thursday; this is why it is very important for all of us to continue working hard to ensure that we are successful.

Over the course of the campaign, we have consulted extensively with our colleagues - hundreds of telephone calls and dozens of meetings. We have appreciated each and every one of these engagements, and the opportunity to listen to the hopes, aspirations and indeed the concerns of our colleagues about the functioning of the DA caucus.

Our interactions have also shown how different the DA is to the governing party. In the ANC, internal elections are never discussed openly, and outcomes always result in the "political purge" of opponents.

This will not happen in the DA. While some colleagues have openly said they will support this team, others have openly said that they will not. If we win, then our first priority will be to unite the caucus around a shared vision and a common passion for making our democracy work. Each person has an important role to play.

We are extremely proud of the campaign we've run. Thank you to the many South Africans from all walks of life for the warm messages of support we have received. You are the reason we entered this race, and it is for you that we are going to spend the next 48 hours finishing strong.

Statement issued by Martin Slabbert, HWB Communications (Pty) Ltd on behalf of Lindiwe Mazibuko MP, October 25 2011

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter