The DA's Mbali Ntuli will be contesting the party leadership with John Steenhuisen. Picture: Refilwe Modise.
The DA’s first virtual elective federal congress will be broadcast live on various television channels, including SABC2, SABC News, eNCA and Newzroom Afrika.
The congress, which will pit the party’s former youth leader Mbali Ntuli against interim leader John Steenhuisen, will commence at 9.30 am on Saturday morning and conclude with the announcement of the newly-elected leadership on Sunday afternoon.
Live broadcasting of the opening ceremony will be at 9.30 am on Saturday, 31 October and the announcement of the newly-elected leadership at 2 pm on Sunday, 1 November.
The party said the congress can also be viewed via a live stream on the www.dacongress2020.co.za website:.
DA CEO Simon Dickinson said: “We are delighted these television stations have agreed to live broadcast the opening and closing ceremonies of our congress. This means the DA’s message of ‘Real Hope. Real Change. Now.’ will reach millions of South Africans directly tomorrow and on Sunday.”
Meanwhile, incumbent DA youth leader Luyolo Mphithi on Friday endorsed Ntuli for the leadership of the country’s main opposition party.
In a statement, Mphithi said in the past months he had examined “the offers of candidates contesting the various positions at our federal congress” and it was “encouraging and inspiring” that the party “has a caliber of many talented, committed and great leaders” who will take it forward.
Mphithi said he believed the time is now ripe for young people to “raise their voices without fear” and for them to “claim the space”.
“Ageism is a fundamentally illiberal world view that reduces the value of young people to a mere biological factor, refusing to consider them on merit as individuals with their own experiences, talent and appeal to voters,” Mphithi said.
The DA youth leader said South Africa desperately needed “a disruptive moment” that would change and improve the country and bring about “innovative solutions and ideas”.
Mphithi said he believed Ntuli could lead the “disruptive moment”, bringing “new and innovative ideas to old problems”.
“As a former DA youth leader, she has full knowledge of the lived experiences of young people, a group of people disillusioned with politics and looking for a party that will offer new solutions,” Mphithi said.
(C0mpiled by Makhosandile Zulu)
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