File photo of DA delegates during the party’s 2023 federal election. (Photo: MICHELE SPATARI / AFP)
When Democratic Alliance delegates gathered for the party’s triennial federal congress at the Gallagher Convention Center in Midrand in April 2023, the party was not part of the national government.
It was just a dream at that stage.
John Steenhuisen was re-elected federal leader of the party in 2023 at this congress.
When delegates reconvene at Gallagher this coming weekend for the party’s triennial federal congress, they will elect a new federal leader with a view to securing an absolute majority in the upcoming municipal elections and finally becoming the largest party in South Africa.
“Who knows – maybe the country’s next president will be elected this weekend,” Luyolo Mphithi, DA MP, said on Thursday afternoon in the run-up to the party’s 2026 federal congress. Mphithi is one of two designated spokespersons for this weekend’s congress.
John Steenhuisen with his re-election in 2023. (Photo: MICHELE SPATARI / AFP)
The congress will take place on Saturday and Sunday and will be the largest federal congress in the Democratic Alliance’s history with almost 2,200 DA delegates attending.
By Sunday, the delegates will have to choose a new federal leader from two candidates: Geordin Hill-Lewis, mayor of Cape Town, and Sibusiso Dyonase, DA caucus leader in the Sedibeng district municipality.
However, when the delegates adjourn on Sunday afternoon, the party will not only have a new federal leader, but also a new federal chairman and three brand new deputy federal chairmen.
Geordin Hill-Lewis is probably the favorite to be elected federal leader this weekend. (Photo: AFP)
‘Friendly Leadership Battle’
“It has really been a very civilized and friendly leadership battle so far,” said Werner Horn, one of the congress’s presiding officers, at a media conference at Gallagher on Thursday afternoon.
“It may be that the temperature will rise between now and then, but so far we have not received a single complaint from one candidate about the behavior of another.”
Horn explained at the media conference that this weekend’s congress will be a reflection of the party’s growth electorally, but also in terms of membership figures.
“This weekend’s congress is the culmination of a process that began over a year ago when we began internally to verify membership and audit membership,” Horn said.
Werner Horn during Thursday’s media conference at Gallagher. (Photo: DA/X)
“It will also be indicative of the Democratic Alliance’s institutional maturity and integrity.”
The DA currently has between 1,600 and 1,800 municipal councillors. Not all of these council members will attend this year’s congress. All municipalities across all nine provinces will indeed be represented at the congress.
Even some members living abroad (DA Abroad) will attend the congress, “to ensure that this congress truly reflects the full depth and diversity of the party,” Horn assured.
This is how the nominations look in the run-up to the weekend:
Federal leader of the DA:
- Blessings Dyonase
- Geordin Hill-Lewis
Federal Chairman:
- Ivan Meyer
- Solly Msimanga
Three deputy federal chairmen:
- Cilliers Brink
- Belinda Echeozonjoku
- We heard Gwarube
- Solly Days
- Anroux Marais
- Nomafrench Mbombo
- Nicholas Nyati.