Lindiwe Mazibuko, Wilmot James & Watty Watson launch campaign for DA parliamentary leadership

On Sunday afternoon I called Athol Trollip to inform him that I intend putting myself forward as a candidate for the leadership of the DA Parliamentary caucus. I then emailed my caucus colleagues to inform them that I would be standing, and set out a framework for how I intend to take the caucus forward over the two and a half years until the 2014 General Election.

Today I am very pleased today to formally announce that I have decided to stand as a candidate for the position of Parliamentary Leader in the mid-term caucus leadership elections, which are scheduled to take place on Thursday 27 October 2011 in Cape Town.

I will be running alongside my colleague, Wilmot James MP, the Federal Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance, who will make himself available for election as Chairperson of the Parliamentary Caucus. Wilmot has extensive skills and expertise in managing civil society institutions - like the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA) - which he has applied to the important project of crafting a policy-development program in the DA. This will form the basis of the offer we make to South Africa's voters between now and the crucial 2014 election. As Parliamentary Caucus Chairperson, Wilmot James will play a central role in the management of the caucus, turning it into the engine-room of DA policy development at a national level.

If elected Parliamentary Leader, I intend to nominate Watty Watson MP - currently Leader of the DA delegation in the National Council of Provinces - as my candidate for DA Chief Whip. As a Member of Parliament with a long and distinguished history of leadership in the party, Watty's experience and institutional knowledge make him an ideal candidate for this position. He will be an invaluable addition to the leadership team in the national caucus. As a team, we represent what is best about the Democratic Alliance: a combination of experience, expertise, and a vibrant new vision for the future.

The DA is marching forward into the future. More and more South Africans from all communities are choosing our party. Following this year's local government election nearly one in four South Africans chose the DA as the political vehicle that embodies their personal hopes and dreams for the future. But there is much more work to be done if we are to continue to grow as an organization, and win the required majorities to govern in more provinces, and ultimately at a national level.

Time is, however, not on our side. The challenges facing South Africa are immense. Millions of our people are unemployed, crime has left South Africans feeling unsafe in their communities, and families go hungry and without shelter on a daily basis. We want to place these issues at the front and centre of Parliament's political agenda.

A growing number of South Africans, particularly the youth, are also growing frustrated at the slow pace of positive change and proposing radical change to our constitutional dispensation. We in the Democratic Alliance, especially in Parliament, must be at the forefront of protecting our fragile democracy and leading South Africa towards a future of prosperity and growth for all.

At the same time, we have an opportunity which may not be repeated. We have a chance to capture the imagination of those millions of South Africans desperate for hope. If we can, we will propel the DA into a position where it can credibly challenge for power in several provinces, and ultimately nationally.

That will require imagination, boldness and skill - qualities we have in abundance in our caucus. I am confident that the leadership team which I have put together has the depth, experience and vision to unlock this potential and take the DA forward at a national level.

Over the next few weeks we will be consulting extensively with our caucus colleagues, and crafting a vision for how the DA parliamentary caucus can, together, make Parliament the true centre of robust political debate and engagement in South Africa.

Statement issued by HWB Communications (Pty) Ltd on behalf of Lindiwe Mazibuko MP, Wilmot James MP and Watty Watson MP, September 27 2011

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