DA chief whip Gwarube lauds ‘disciplined delegates’ as party looks to 2024 on first day of its congress

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DA chief whip Gwarube lauds 'disciplined delegates' as party looks to 2024 on first day of its congress
DA chief whip Gwarube lauds 'disciplined delegates' as party looks to 2024 on first day of its congress

Africa-Press – South-Africa. The DA wants the internal democracy and efficiency it displayed on the first day of its congress to show the people of South Africa that it should take up residency in the Union Buildings.

Speaking to News24 shortly after congress concluded for the day – two hours ahead of schedule – DA chief whip Siviwe Gwarube said the party is very pleased with how congress has gone on Saturday.

She said they opened proceedings with a welcoming of their mayors.

“Again, just demonstrating that while we’ve had a difficult time with coalition governments that have fallen apart – not through our own making in our view – but we wanted to also showcase to South Africans that we still are very much committed to the project of governing.”

“I think that is important as we head to 2024,” said Gwarube.

The 2024 elections were a recurring theme in the speeches heard on the first day.

In her own speech, Gwarube came out strong against the ANC.

Earlier on Saturday she said:

“We are less than a year away from an election that will be remembered for years to come. It can either be the election that hastened the destruction of South Africa or the election that stemmed the free fall.”

But it wasn’t only a day of speeches. The delegates also voted on amendments to the DA’s constitution, a process Gwarube describes as critical at a congress.

“And there were robust debates, which are really good.”

She said there was a point when the debate and vote went straight down the middle, where there was some agreement.

Gwarube said the two candidates’ for party leader- incumbent John Steenhuisen and his challenger, former Johannesburg mayor Mpho Phalatse – “showed great political maturity” in their final speeches to win over delegates.

Gwarube said it is very important that they keep the “spirit of congress” with robust debates.

She thinks this is a testament to their delegates being incredibly disciplined.

Gwarube said she hoped the people who followed the proceedings would take away the message that the DA would never preach democracy if they cannot have internal democracy.

“We value our internal democracy, because I think how we treat ourselves as a democractic party internally must demonstrate to the public that is how we view our constitutional democracy too.”

She believes what they are demonstrating internally, they will also demonstrate externally.

“When we call on government to be accountable, when we call on government to be transparent, it is because the kind of culture we have cultivated inside.”

She said they also wanted to show that they are not a party that is internally focused, but they are also focused on being a contender as a governing party.

“As you have seen throughout the day, our big message was we have got to elect a leadership that’s going to take us to 2024.”

She said the party believes the polling which has the ANC dipping below 50% in next year’s elections.

“And that presents a real opportunity for the DA to step in and be the anchor tenet of any kind of government that may be formed in 2024.”

Gwarube wants to see a smooth voting process on Sunday.

“And I’m really hoping that when we elect the leadership tomorrow, regardless of the contestation that has happened up until now, the delegates here, the party at large can unite behind that leadership, because that is who they have elected as we head to 2024.”

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