STRAIGHT TALK

31 March 2023

This weekend, 2000 delegates from DA branches across the country will come together in Johannesburg to elect new leadership. The DA’s Federal Congress is possibly the most important political event for South Africa ahead of the 2024 general election.

The new leadership will lead the DA into the election and beyond. With the ANC having fully exposed itself as a network of competing criminal syndicates, the DA is now South Africa’s government-in-waiting: the largest opposition party and the only one with a proven track record of good, honest government.

Several polls have confirmed that the ANC will lose it majority in 2024, ushering in an era of coalition government at the national level. The new DA leadership elected this weekend will play a central role in achieving the best possible coalition outcome.

The DA is the only party in South Africa that practices internal democracy. The ANC also has a regular public elective congress (every 5 years) to elect new leadership, but the outcome is the result of vote-buying and bribery.

By contrast, every three years the DA elects new leadership in a free, fair election. No bribing or buying of delegates. No brown envelopes or controversial EFT payments. No chaos or coercion. Just an orderly, civil process yielding a result that truly reflects the will of the broader party as represented by the delegates.

These delegates are as diverse as the people of South Africa. Young and old, rural and urban, rich and poor, with all races, cultures and creeds represented. Roughly half of them are not public representatives such as members of legislatures or councilors, but rather ordinary branch members elected by their branch.

And for the record, only a small minority of delegates are white, so pay no heed to those who label the DA a “white party”. That is simply not borne out by the facts. The DA is a rainbow party fighting to deliver on the South African Constitution’s hope for a united, prosperous rainbow nation.

The DA’s internal voting process proves our commitment to democracy, and should instill trust that the DA in government will work to protect and strengthen SA’s democratic institutions, so that power is always held to account.

DA delegates bring a diversity of ideas and are united by our shared commitment to the rule of law, a market economy, merit-based appointments to build a capable state, and nonracialism. Our Federal Congress is nonracial democracy in action, a contest of ideas aimed at producing the best possible outcome for the people of South Africa.

Once new leadership has been democratically elected, the party will unite behind it and focus on reaching every voter in the country ahead of 2024, with our message of hope for a peaceful, prosperous, democratic South Africa.

Yours sincerely

John Steenhuisen