KZN DA presents parliamentarian candidates

The DA KZN provincial leader, Francois Rodgers, announced a candidate list at a gathering in Durban on Tuesday last week.

The list comprises experienced regional, provincial and national candidates who will represent the DA in the provincial legislature and National Assembly after the May 29 national and provincial elections.

“It has been an exhaustive and thorough process that saw more than 100 people apply to be Members of Parliament and Members of the Provincial Legislature in KZN. Never before have so many people wanted to join our rescue mission to save our province, and this has been incredibly encouraging to witness. Even elected leaders in this province, myself included, and all members of the leadership team had to subject themselves to this process,” said Rodgers.

Rodgers said their candidates have been through an eleven-step process that started in April 2023 and then proceeded to being interviewed by the structures of the party in September 2023, which developed a shortlist.

He explained that from there, candidates had to make themselves available to write several tests which tested everything from understanding of the party policy to general knowledge.

“Candidates, both incumbent and non-incumbent, were performance assessed on their contribution to the DA and the communities they have worked in. In December 2023, candidates appeared before and were interviewed by a selection panel, which consisted of members appointed by the provincial executive committee and was chaired by respected former Eastern Cape member of Parliament, Annette Steyn,” said Rodgers.

According to him, in January 2024, candidates were ranked by the selection panel, and these results were reviewed by both the provincial executive committee of the province as well as the federal executive.

“We remain encouraged that this process was accepted by all candidates and produced an outcome that sees the best possible group of potential MPs and MPLs to represent the people of KZN. The candidates that have joined us are fit for purpose and are diverse across a number of fields. In fact, this is the most diverse field of candidates, the DA in KZN has ever fielded. There will be no party in parliament or the legislature that will be as diverse as the DA,” said Rodgers.

He highlighted three categories among their candidates that showed their commitment to attracting new skills, encouraging progression within the party, and promoting diversity within their ranks.

Their new parliamentary entrants are S’bongiseni Vilakazi and Edwin Bath and internal progression include councillors Shara Singh, Shontel De Boer, Nicole Bollman and Sakhile Mngadi.

“For retaining experience, we have Bradley Singh MPL, Maliyakhe Shelembe MP, Hannah Winkler MP and Tim Brauteseth MP. Imagine MECs coming from this talented field of candidates who will service KZN, doing away with blue lights and cutting wasteful expenditure,” said Rodgers.

He added that these candidates will also be responsible for implementing in government their seven provincial pledges.

“The pledges are: partner with the private sector to create 300 000 jobs, end load shedding in the province, fight for the creation of a provincial police service, create an independent provincial anti-corruption unit, guarantee there is water in every tap, cut waiting times for provincial health services in half and establish a school evaluation authority,” said Rodgers.

He said every candidate on their list is expected to take their campaign to every community across the province, and they have set them clear targets to achieve in pursuit of the DA forming a new provincial government.

“We are confident that the lists we have submitted to the IEC are head and shoulders above any other political party that will contest for power in KZN. This list will give voters confidence that the DA’s candidates will put the voters of the province first and will work day and night to rescue KZN in the upcoming election,” said Rodgers.

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