Democratic Alliance leadership contender Mpho Phalatse has highlighted the topic of race again as the party prepares for its congress. Photo: Getty Images
Democratic Alliance leadership contender Mpho Phalatse has highlighted the topic of race again as the party prepares for its congress.
In his manifesto document, Phalatse said the DA has a chance to bring the ANC’s share of the vote below 50% in next year’s general election and the possibility of a new DA-led government – on its own or in a coalition. – not far away.
“The DA cannot squander this opportunity by remaining inward looking and shirking its responsibility to the people of South Africa as a whole. We cannot build an island of luxury, excellence and good governance in a sea of poverty, mediocrity and decay,” he said.
Phalatse said the DA has no choice but to find a way to overcome the trust deficit with the country and the start of the process is to ensure that its leadership resembles the diversity of the nation.
“Ordinary South Africans need to find the right DA. We need to build a real DA
a home for all. Our messaging should be relevant to the plight of ordinary people, but should be devoid of frivolous and patronizing rhetoric. There should be no dissonance between our message and our actions,” he said.
“We should also not be ambivalent about the issue of racism. We should blame them wherever they are terrible. Our policies and actions in government should show an unwavering commitment to reparations.
Phalatse said the party must do everything to prepare for government in 2024 and must show by word and deed that “DA activists are the main pillar of our strength as a party”.
“We must build our structure, provide sustained support to our branches and public representatives, while reforming our internal systems, including performance management, recruitment and selection processes, to build a strong DA that can save South Africa,” he said.
The DA has been heavily criticized in the past for allegedly muzzling some of its black leaders.
In the previous M&G report, John Moodey, the former Gauteng leader of the party who defected to Herman Mashaba’s ActionSA, said that young black guards have found ideas that are oppressed and felt that the position that favors them owes in return to stick to the tired script.
“It’s almost like a feeling of ‘you should be grateful for the opportunities you have, to serve in the position you do’. This is quite common in the DA,” he said.
Phalase before him M&G he was aware of the “culture of fear” that existed in the party. In his manifesto document, he said as a liberal party the DA needed to support and encourage freedom of speech and the right of others to freedom of choice “even within our own party”.
“We must encourage a strong culture of debate,” he said, adding that members of the party, who may have views that differ from the dominant one, should be free to express themselves without fear of retribution.
“Through a strong culture of engagement, we can build a critical mass of independent thinkers in the DA and not parrots echoing the voices of their masters. Any culture that stifles debate in the party and in the institutions of the state where we rule is against our founding principles as a liberal party. Culture that kind of thing should not be supported in DA. We also need to control the top-down approach to make decisions,” he said.
Meanwhile, federal council chairwoman and DA party matriarch Helen Zille looks set for re-election after Wednesday’s announcement of candidates vying for leadership positions at a conference in April.
It was expected that party leader John Steenhuisen would be challenged by Phalatse, but party members from Pretoria have pulled the trigger by contesting all six positions.
DA women’s network member Lungile Phenyane nominated for all six positions means Zille also faces a challenge for her position.
Dion George, who is vying for the position of federal finance chairman, will also run uncontested for the position if Phenyane does not raise his hand.
Outgoing federal chairman Ivan Meyer will compete against KwaZulu-Natal member Qhawekazi Mbatha as well as Phenyane. Two other highly contested positions are the vice-chairman of the federal council and also the federal vice-chairman.
Those competing for the federal council representative position include Annelie Lotriet, Ashor Sarupen, James Masango, Phenyane, Segope Sathekge, Thomas Walters and Tyrone Gray.
Senior leaders who have put their hands up for the position of federal deputy chairman include incumbent Refiloe Nt’sekhe, MP Natasha Mazzone, former Eastern Cape leader Nqaba Bhanga, national spokesperson Solly Malatsi, Western Cape executive councilor Anton Bredell, Cape Town councilor JP Smith, Shehana Kajee and Phenyane.
The party published engagement rules for the congress in February, which specified that candidates and supporters can donate and collect funds for the campaign, but no donors can be approached unless the fundraising department certifies that they are not in the national donor database.
Existing donors to the party cannot be approached by any person or entity to ask for donations in cash or in kind, for internal party elections. All donations received must be declared within 72 hours to the chief executive for federal elections, provincial directors and the relevant legislature.
“It is the responsibility of each candidate to ensure that all donations received for internal elections are deposited in the main fundraising bank account and properly referenced,” the rules said.
Candidates must designate a person who will be responsible for the distribution of funds and keep a list of donations. Funds collected from unspent donations after the election is over must be paid to the party.
Candidates may be asked for funds collected if there are reasonable grounds to believe that one or more aspects of the standard are not being followed.