John Steenhuisen and Mbali Ntuli faced off at the 2020 DA Federal Congress | Images: (L) Tracy Lee Stark, (R) Twitter
After hours locked in a virtual congress, member and supporters of the DA will find out who takes the top spot as the new leader of the party.
New leaders will also be elected for the party’s federal executive.
During her last address to DA delegates before they voted, Ntuli spoke of inclusivity, diversity and equality as her key objectives.
Ntuli said she ran her campaign showing her vision for the party to represent and include every South African in all decision-making in a way that the party is able to negotiate shared human values.
“I don’t think disagreements or seeing things differently is a bad thing. The idea of diversity as part of our principles is the one that should be cherished the most as the DA. I want to move our party into a place where everybody has equal ability to say where they believe the DA should be going and how we should be talking to voters on the ground because we only exist to try and win votes and show people what the DA could do,” she said.
During her campaign trail, Ntuli has been heavily critical of the party.
Steenhuisen, on the other hand, claimed that the party is no longer adrift and added that it has grown stronger in the face of adversity.
This adversity, he said, includes the Covid-19 pandemic, the governing ANC and a hostile commentariat and press.
“The DA has shown this year that we will not let adversity throw us off course. And this congress is no exception,” he said.
He thanked party members, staff and public representatives for their efforts and said their work has been effective.
READ NEXT: Steenhuisen and Ntuli both want to reach the Union Buildings, but differ on the route
(Compiled by Kaunda Selisho)
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