The DA’s national congress takes place this weekend in Gauteng and is a defining event in the run-up to next year’s election. (Photo: DA/Twitter)
An “important but difficult” federal congress is ahead for the DA this weekend, with not only external, but also internal pressure to meet diverse expectations.
About 2,000 DA delegates gather in Midrand on Saturday and Sunday for the official opposition’s federal conference under the theme “A strong DA to build a better future”.
Experts believe that the DA should use the congress in particular to prepare for the possibility that it may govern, even if it is within a coalition government, with a real possibility that the ANC may lose its power in the next election.
The delegates will vote for party leaders on Sunday morning, with an announcement about the results expected around 12:00, says Werner Horn, congress spokesman of the DA.
As far as the election of a party leader is concerned, no major upheavals are expected. The political analyst Roland Henwood says his expectation is that John Steenhuisen will be elected leader again.
“He has a proven record in the party, although his style is not everyone’s favorite,” says Henwood.
Dr. Ntsikelelo Breakfast, political analyst attached to the Nelson Mandela University in the Eastern Cape, agrees that Steenhuisen will probably smoke the pipe again.
DA leader John Steenhuisen. (Photo: DA/Twitter)
His only opponent for the post is dr. Mpho Phalatse, a former mayor of Johannesburg.
“My feeling is that Steenhuisen does not have a challenger. No black person can challenge him and I don’t think Phalatse is ready to be the leader yet.
“Steenhuisen had his political baptism of fire at a young age, he understands all the workings of the party and communicates what the party stands for very well,” says Breakfast.
He says that Phalatse should have nominated her for the position of deputy leader instead, so that she could gradually be prepared for the role as party leader.
Henwood also believes that Phalatse is still too politically inexperienced to pose a danger to Steenhuisen as party leader.
Coalition politics important
(Archive photo: Reint Dykema)
Regarding their expectations of the congress, Breakfast and Henwood believe that especially coalition politics and policies on, for example, black economic empowerment (SEB) are likely to be high on the agenda.
Henwood says the DA has so far invested a lot in coalitions and their proper management in areas outside the Western Cape will be closely monitored.
In the Tshwane metro, DA member Cilliers Brink was elected mayor in the metro last week as part of the coalition group. Henwood says how this coalition performs in Pretoria will probably be a “make-or-break situation” for the DA in the run-up to next year’s election and therefore the finer workings of coalition governments are expected to receive a lot of attention.
Breakfast also says that the DA should thoroughly discuss the connection between coalition formation and the resolution of conflict situations that all too often accompany it.
However, he believes that the DA must also use the congress to prepare for the possibility that it can govern – also in more places outside the Western Cape.
“The possibility that the ANC could lose power is not far-fetched,” says Breakfast.
Horn says the DA, as the official opposition, has an extremely important and “probably key role” to play in future coalitions and coalition politics that aim to unseat the ANC.
Coalition politics is therefore definitely one of the points among the more than 50 resolutions that will be discussed this weekend. Other issues include resolutions on the economy and job creation, the eradication of corruption, security aspects (including rural security and gender-based violence) and effective provincial government.
“Anyone in South Africa who is honest about this will agree that the DA can play an important role because the one province that really works is under DA control,” says Horn.
Ready to rule
In the national election in 2019, the DA gathered just over 20% of votes for it and in the local election of 2021, the party got 22% of voters’ votes.
Horn says the party hopes that strong policy resolutions will persuade more voters to put their crosses behind the DA’s name.
“The resolutions must show South Africans that we are not perfect; but we have achieved certain successes and given where South Africa finds itself at the moment, voters must make a mental decision that the DA is part of the solution,” says Horn.
The DA’s resolutions, for example those on foreign policy and BEE, are also being adapted more and more to serve as policy direction for a DA government – rather than just the DA as official opposition.
“I think that unlike in the past, where we were positioned as the opposition, there is now a shift towards a broader vision,” says Horn.
