Congress Closing Address - Now the Focus is on 2014

Note to Editors: This is an extract of the speech delivered by Democratic Alliance Leader, Helen Zille today to close the DA's fifth Federal Congress

Fellow Delegates,

We have had a wonderful Congress over the last two days. The best ever! The biggest ever.

Thank you to every delegate for your participation and for the lively, engaged debate.

We have never been prouder of the DA.

We have made important amendments to our constitution, heard outstanding speeches by our up-and-coming stars, and we have elected our new federal leadership. 

Well done to everyone who ran for a leadership position and our warmest congratulations to the winning candidates - you demonstrated in your campaigns that internal elections in the DA are vigorously contested, but fair, free, and based on our values. 

To those elected, you represent the future of the DA, and the DA has placed its trust in you this weekend. We expect you to go and work very hard, to demonstrate leadership for the whole of South Africa, to build our party and to grow the trust between the DA and South Africans who don't yet vote for us. 

I say this conscious of the fact that I have been returned as your leader unopposed.

I am deeply aware of the responsibilities this brings.

I interpret this as the Congress' support for our goal of building a new majority at the non-racial centre of South African politics. We will work tirelessly together to become a party of government across our country. We know realignment will not be easy.

We have done it before and we have learnt our lessons. We won't repeat our mistakes. Our core values are non-negotiable. We are a party of strong institutions.

And committed people, all of you, our activists, public representatives and professional staff.

There are many people to thank for making this weekend a success. If I name any of them, I will forget some of them, so I will just offer my profound thanks to everyone involved in making this congress a success - to the activists, to the public representatives and most of all to the team of professional staff who put this all together. 

Delegates, we came into the Congress with momentum. Our party has never been stronger or more united. Just two weeks ago, we welcomed the former Premier of the Eastern Cape, Nosimo Balindlela, into our party. You may not have met uMama Nosimo Balindlela here this weekend because she has fitted in so well - she attends this Congress this weekend for the first time as a paid up member of the DA. Can you imagine a former ANC Premier being prepared to work at grassroots building branches for the DA in remote rural areas? Thank you! You are welcome here! 

Also, just last week, we all woke up to discover that we had won the Mayoralty in Tlokwe. 

What an amazing victory. Well done to the team in Potchefstroom, and to the new DA mayor there, Prof. Annette Combrink. No matter how long or short it lasts, we will use our time in office in Tlokwe to show voters that we can deliver stable, reliable and trustworthy government for all the people there.

I don't know about you, but I am leaving here today feeling even more inspired and energised about the DA and about what we can achieve between now and 2014.

We now need to go back to our branches, to our towns and cities, with a laser-like focus on election campaign 2014. We need to get down to work - to show each and every South African that we are in their corner, that they can trust us with their vote and with the future of our country. 

Today, as we end this Congress, we begin our campaign for election 2014. It is no coincidence that this Congress is in Gauteng. Let us use the great momentum of this weekend, the energy and the commitment of our people, and let's go and work every day for a win in 2014. 

Thank you all for coming, travel safely home. 

Bless you, and bless South Africa.

Issued by the DA, November 25 2012

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