New parliamentary leadership team to focus on job creation

29 May 2014

The election of a new DA parliamentary leadership team is a significant moment in our quest to realign politics in South Africa. It is a talented and diverse team, with a huge amount of collective experience. 

I have served for the last three years as the Leader of the 90-member Johannesburg Metro caucus. In that time, I came to appreciate how important it is that every caucus member is valued for the specific contribution they can make. I intend to continue with this ethos here.

Working together as a team, we can achieve great things in this Parliament. Our caucus today is the biggest ever DA caucus, in any tier of government to date. We have outstanding long-serving members, and some of the brightest young minds in South Africa.

Our caucus will work hard, and we will continue holding government to account for corruption and maladministration as we have done as the official opposition for many years. We will not, however, oppose for the sake of opposing. We will put workable alternatives on the table. We will ensure that Parliament is the testing ground for great national ideas.

Our top priority will be to ensure that our government grows the economy and creates jobs. We centred our election campaign on job creation because unemployment is, without doubt, the single biggest challenge we face. 

We will use the parliamentary platform to put pressure on the government to introduce pro-growth and pro-jobs policies. When we legislate in committee, and when we debate in the House, we will do so with the hopes and dreams of every one of 7 million of unemployed South Africans in mind.

I am fortunate to be joined in this leadership team by John Steenhuisen who has accepted the position of Chief Whip. John was a City Councillor and Caucus Leader in eThekwini for 10 years. In 2009, he was elected Caucus Leader of the DA in the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial legislature. John was elected as a Whip in the National Assembly in 2011, where he has done an excellent job.

Anchen Dreyer has been elected unopposed as Caucus Chairperson. Anchen has 23 years' experience in public office, first being elected as a councillor in Johannesburg in 1991 and as a Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature in 1999. In 2005 she was elected to Parliament, and has since served as a whip and member of numerous portfolio committees. Currently she is one of the DA's three Deputy Federal Chairpersons. 

Richard Majola has been elected unopposed as Deputy Chairperson of the caucus. Richard served as a Councillor for over 9 years, and in 2009 was elected to the Western Cape Provincial Parliament. He served that House as Deputy Speaker for two years, before being elected Speaker of the Provincial Parliament in 2011. Richard brings with him a wealth of experience in Parliamentary procedure and legislative practise.

Michael Waters succeeded in election as Deputy Chief Whip and is welcomed to the team. Mike has been a member of Parliament for over 15 years, has served as a whip in the previous DA Caucus, and will add immense experience to this leadership team.

Elza van Lingen has been elected unopposed to the position of our Leader in the National Council of Provinces. This is a position that Elza returns to from the last Parliament where she filled the role with distinction. 

In addition, the caucus has elected as our team of Whips: Dion George, Natasha Michael, James Masango, Annette Steyn, Erik Marais, Diane Kohler-Barnard, Gavin Davis, Patricia Kopane, Ian Ollis, Lance Greyling and Stevens Mokgalapa.

I assume an office with the standing of the official alternative voice, against the government and its choices. It is an office to which great significance has been added through the excellent work of my predecessors, Athol Trollip and Lindiwe Mazibuko. South Africa owes both Athol and Lindiwe a debt of gratitude.

I am ready in every sense to uphold the oath that I took to be faithful to the Republic of South Africa, to obey, respect and uphold the Constitution and all other laws of the Republic, as each one of my fellow caucus members has too. We get down to work immediately, and we are ready to do South Africa proud.

Statement issued by Mmusi Maimane, DA Parliamentary Leader, May 29 2014

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