DA is more united than ever, says new Tshwane mayor Randall Williams

New Mayor of Tshwane, Randall Williams says the Democratic Alliance (DA) is more united than ever, following its national congress held last weekend.

This despite heavy criticism ensuing from the event, over the alienation of black DA leaders and voters and a policy direction that was falling further and further right of centre.

New elected leader, John Steenhuisen represented the advancement of policies such as the rejection of BEE and affirmative action, the denouncement of race analysis as a tool for social change and a smaller, less taxing government. Such policies previously divided members of the party who believed in a more social approach to government, including former leaders, Mmusi Maimane and Herman Mashaba.

DA Johannesburg councillor and party youth leader Lincoln Machaba has become the latest member to publicly resign from his party. He has since joined Mashaba’s party Action SA, saying there were many who had followed suit, while others, he claims did not have the privilege or courage to quit their councillor positions on principle.

According to Williams, as stability was sure to return to both metros in Gauteng, unity in the DA would only be strengthened if those who did not agree with the status quo, left.

“You see, it’s best for a party where people don’t buy into the visions of the party that they should rather leave and join a party that suits the values and visions that they would want to see, so we have got unity now, as far as our objective is concerned,” said Williams.

“We want stability in the party and that is what the DA has achieved in the congress. It was a well-run congress, and we have got leaders in the party that have bought into a vision.”

But Machaba argued that the party had lost the trust of the public and despite appealing to the conservative nationalism of Freedom Front Plus (FF+), had little hope of winning the trust of this constituency as well.

“We are not going to fool South Africans including the right wingers.When we went to Senekal, remember, our councillors were pushed away, because we are not trusted by right wing farmers and we are not trusted by the majority of black people either because the DA is a shapeshifting political party that moves according to the past election results it had.”

-simnikiweh@citizen.co.za

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