Candidates for DA federal leadership, including Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and Sedibeng caucus leader Sibusiso Dyonase, delivered passionate speeches to more than 2,000 party members in Midrand, Johannesburg, at the Federal Congress on April 11. The new leadership is expected to steer the party into its next chapter after John Steenhuisen announced he would not seek re-election. Voting for leadership positions takes place on Sunday.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is holding its Federal Congress at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, north of Johannesburg, where members will elect new leaders and deliberate on policy issues.
Federal leadership candidates Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and Sedibeng caucus leader Sibusiso Dyonase made pitches to more than 2,000 members. Dyonase said, “As your leader, my task is to ensure that South Africans unite behind the Democratic Alliance. [We will] strengthen internal democracy by empowering branches and ancillary structures, through inclusive representation to influence internal policy.” Hill-Lewis emphasised, “We have already govern better than anyone else in South Africa... We must be the most hopeful option. The most credible option. The most serious option. And the most human option.”
Day one of the congress concluded with the adoption of policy proposals, including promoting fair employment opportunities for workers over the age of 35 and addressing the impact of online gambling and vaping regulations to safeguard teenagers.
Gauteng DA leader Solly Msimanga, contesting the federal chairperson position against Ivan Meyer, described the party as the country's most diversified organisation and dismissed claims of racial tensions from departing black leaders. “Both white and black people have left the DA... Show me any other political party that is able to pull what you’re seeing here,” he said.
Political analyst Xolelwa Gashe raised concerns over the DA's leadership succession and youth renewal, citing Helen Zille's continued prominence as evidence of a leadership crisis. Meanwhile, DA figures expressed ambitions to become the largest party in metros in the 2026 local elections and nationally by 2029, having registered 70,000 new supporters.
