John Steenhuisen emerges victorious in the DA leadership race

John Steenhuisen has just been announced as leader of the Democratic Alliance.

He went up against former mayor of Joburg, Mpho Phalatse.

Steenhuisen, who is also a seasoned politician, was widely touted as a shoo-in for the position as he led the party since the exodus of black leaders, described by some as some of the DA’s darker moments in history.

Other positions:

• Federal Chairperson: Dr Ivan Meyer

Deputy Federal Chairpersons:

• 1st Deputy: JP Smith

• 2nd Deputy: Solly Malatsi

• 3rd Deputy: Anton Bredell

• Chairperson of the Federal Council – Helen Zille, elected uncontested

Deputy Chairpersons of the Federal Council

• 1st Deputy: Ashor Sarupen

• 2nd Deputy: Annelie Lotriet

• 3rd Deputy: Thomas Walters

• Chairperson of Federal Finance: Dr Dion George, elected uncontested.

Presiding officer, Greg Kumbrock, said 2023 was the largest and most diverse congress in the party’s history and declared the election free and fair.

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Steenhuisen is poised to lead the party in the upcoming 2024 polls in which the party is hoping to bring the governing party below 50 %.

During his victory speech, Steenhuisen declared the Economic Freedom Fighters as “enemy number one.”

He said the DA will do anything in its power to prevent an ANC and EFF alliance, which he described as a death knell for South Africa.
“If the EFF wins the 2024 election, what happened in Zimbabwe will look like a dress rehearsal,” he said.

“If we were to achieve our moon shot and become the leaders of South Africa, we will have to do things that have never been done.”

Earlier this morning, he told delegates he has “absolute faith” that the DA will become the country’s first opposition party since the dawn of democracy to lead national government.

Steenhuisen, a legacy DA member

Steenhuisen, has served as leader of the opposition party since 2020. His political career began around the age of 22, which made him one of the youngest council members at that time.

He served as an ordinary councillor until his appointment as the DA’s caucus leader in 2006.

During his speech on Saturday, Steenhuisen took a walk down memory lane, recounting the time he first joined the DA back in 1997; saying he was under no illusions of the difficulties which lay ahead.

“We knew we had to cement our roles in the South African political landscape and we would have to put in hard work,” he said.

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“Let me tell you now as a councillor for 10 years, I know a lot about hard work. Today I can confidently say that our three decades of hard work have also paid off.”

According to Steenhuisen, the time had come for the DA to ascend to national governance and provincial government, and the key to achieving such was through prioritising the citizens.

Additional reporting by Lunga Simelane and Thapelo Lekabe

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