Maimane becomes DA leader

WELTEVREDEN PARK – Local resident Mmusi Maimane was made leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA) on 10 May. The man from Weltevreden Park, who was formerly the DA’s parliamentary leader, was voted in at the party’s annual conference in Port Elizabeth. This, after former leader Helen Zille announced in April that she would not run for re-election.

Maimane is the party’s first black leader. Congress of the People president Mosiuoa Lekota responded by congratulating Maimane. “We are very encouraged by the fact that 21 years of non-racialism in our country is consolidating,” he said. “We trust that we will have a good working relationship with the new leadership. South Africa at present is facing many serious challenges and if cooperation among us grows, we can indeed mobilise more effectively against poverty, joblessness, inequality, corruption and crime.”

Questions were sent to Maimane and comment is awaited.