From left: Dean Macpherson (provincial chairperson), Sithembiso Ngema (deputy provincial leader) and Francois Rodgers (provincial leader) congratulate one another at the Democratic Alliance (DA) KZN Congress which took plave in Durban on Saturday 20 April. Photo via Twitter @DA KZN
Democratic Alliance (DA) KwaZulu-Natal provincial leader Francois Rodgers once again clinched the top leadership position during the party’s provincial congress at the Durban International Convention Centre on Saturday 29 April.
Rodgers who is the DA MPL in the KZN Legislature, has been serving as DA KZN leader for the past two years. He was also the party’s former provincial chairperson and served as the DA’s KZN chief whip.
Early media reports indicated a landslide victory for Rodgers and Dean Mcpherson who retained his position as provincial chairperson.
Dean Mcpherson defeated DA veteran leader Diane Kohler Barnard to be re-elected as provincial chairperson. Kohler Barnard only received 136 (36%) votes compared to Mcpherson’s 309 (69%).
Former deputy chairperson Sthembiso Ngema was elected deputy provincial leader and obtained 280 (63%) votes compared to Mzamo Billy’s 163.
Ngema will be replacing uMngeni Mayor Christopher Pappas who did not stand for a second term.
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In other results, Martin Meyer was elected as 1st deputy chairperson, Hlengiwe Shozi as 2nd deputy chairperson and Hannah Winkler as 3rd deputy chairperson.
In his victory speech, Rogers echoed the party’s intentions to unseat the African National Congress (ANC) as governing party in the 2024 national elections
“Look out, ANC in the province of KwaZulu-Natal…I suggest what the ANC starts doing now is looking alternate offices outside of Msunduzi. Your days are numbered, we are coming for you, we have had enough, our residents, our voters have had enough, your days are numbered.”
The DA is the third largest party in the KwaZulu-Natal province at present and has an agreement with the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) to cooperate in the province’s hung municipalities.
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