Talk of new beginning as DA leadership elected

The Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Project 2019 almost received as much attention as the election of the party’s provincial leadership as the structure in Limpopo voted for their preferred candidates during its congress in Polokwane on Saturday. A hot contest marking the leadership race resulted in Jacques Smalle claiming the position of leader for a third consecutive three-year period.
The battle saw newcomers to the leadership structure emerging as Geoffrey Tshibvumo was elected Provincial Chairperson and Stephen Manamela as Deputy Provincial Leader. New Deputy Provincial Chairpersons are Lindy Wilson and Beyers Smit, chosen from 13 names. Desiree van der Walt is the new leader of the revived DA Women’s Network (Dawn) in Limpopo with Mietjie Tjumana as her deputy. The chairperson of the new youth structure in the province is Aluwani Raphalalani and deputies for Media and Publicity Lesiba Setho, Training and Development Kobe Fick, for Administration Bianca Mocke and Recruitment and Campaigns Fikile Shingange.

As was the case when the names of the new leaders were announced late afternoon, the gathering erupted in chaos when DA Leader Mmusi Maimane entered mid-morning to focus on a new beginning in his address to a spirited audience. He referred to different cultures brought together by the DA which, he said, united them through values of freedom, fairness and opportunity. He expressed the fact that it couldn’t be right that, among others, 70% of the people in Limpopo lived below the poverty line. “We must talk about a new beginning for Limpopo,” Maimane said as he spoke of the need for change for a prosperous province.
He went on to warn those driving campaigns mobilising in favour of a certain race to find another party and join it, saying people had to leave their egos at the door.
In the DA there was no tolerance towards corruption, he stressed and added that they would deal with whoever was corrupt, ensuring they ended in jail.
He alluded to the fact that there was never a greater moment in South Africa than now. Maimane invited fellow-Democrats to stand together like never before at a time like the present, to go out and invite the people of South Africa to a new beginning and new hope, a leadership that would unite and not divide as well as a society that could stand and work together for the advancement of freedom in the country.

Story & photos: YOLANDE NEL
>>observer.yolande@gmail.com