DA Federal Congress: DA Youth nominations announced
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will hold its fourth Federal Congress in Cape Town on 24 and 25 July, and the nominations for several positions in the DA Youth have now closed.
As the position of DA Youth Chairperson is unopposed, we extend our congratulations to Mbali Ntuli, who has been elected to that position.
The nominees for each position follow below, together with short biographies of each of the candidates. Nominees for each position are listed alphabetically, by order of surname.
Federal Youth Leader:
Makashule Gana (27) is a DA councillor in the City of Johannesburg. Gana joined the DA Youth in 2002, and worked as DA Student Organisation (DASO) provincial chairperson for Limpopo from 2003. In 2005 he relocated to Johannesburg, where he was instrumental in reviving DA Youth structures. He was elected Branch Youth Chairperson for the Johannesburg Innercity branch in 2006, became DA Youth Chairperson for the Johannesburg Central Constituency in 2007, and was then elected Gauteng South DA Youth Chairperson in 2008. Gama was a member of the DA Federal Council between 2009 and 2010. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree and is currently registered for a Post Graduate Diploma in Management with Wits Business School.
Siphumle Yalezo (22) lives in Khayelitsha, where he founded a DA Youth branch in the N2 Development constituency. He is currently serving his second consecutive term as chair of the branch, which has some of the highest youth membership figures in the country. Yalezo has a long history of community involvement, which started when he founded the iKamva Youth organisation in Khayelitsha, which still today offers underprivileged matriculates extra classes in mathematics and science. He has a National Diploma in Civil Engineering from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
Federal Youth Chairperson:
Mbali Ntuli (22) - elected - is DA Youth chairperson for KwaZulu-Natal. A former Head Girl of Wykeham Collegiate in Pietermaritzburg, Ntuli holds a Bachelor of Social Science degree from Rhodes University. Ntuli is a product of the DA Young Leaders programme, and she was part of the 2008 stream. Both during school and at university, she has actively participated in debating and public speaking. After graduating, Ntuli returned to KwaZulu-Natal, where she was subsequently elected provincial DA Youth chairperson. She has since been active in creating a strong DA presence in KwaMashu and Ntuzuma, where DA Youth branches continue to grow.
Federal Youth Media and Publicity Chairperson:
Rihan Kleyn (22) grew up in the Northern Suburbs of the City of Cape Town and matriculated in 2005 from Tygerberg High School. He studied BCom Law at Stellenbosch University and is currently studying engineering at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Kleyn was appointed last year to act as interim Western Cape DA Youth chairperson and during his tenure successfully launched a number of new youth branches in the Cape metro.
Bhekinkosi Shadrack Rolisizu (20) is a DA Councillor in the Victor Khanye Local Municipality and currently serves as the provincial DA Youth Secretary in Mpumalanga. He has also served as secretary of the Delmas constituency.
Federal Youth Training and Development Chairperson:
Mbulelo Dwane (29) was born in the Eastern Cape and currently lives in Cape Town where he is branch secretary for Ward 35 in the N2 Development Constituency. He is also a member of the interim Western Cape Youth Executive Committee. Dwane has a passion for youth development and in growing the base of the DA Youth.
Hlanganani Gumbi (21) was born in Esikhawini in KwaZulu-Natal and attended Northwood High School in Durban where he served as a school prefect and student representative. He is currently studying for a BCom degree at Rhodes University. Gumbi is a product of the DA Young Leaders programme - he was part of the 2009 stream - and is also a cofounder of the DA Student Organisation at Rhodes. He currently serves as DA Youth chairperson in the Eastern Cape.
Voting will take place at 18h30 on Saturday 24 July and will be overseen by an independent auditing firm and agents representing each candidate.
Statement by Aimee Franklin, DA Youth Director, July 19 2010
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