By Lehlohonolo Lehana in Midrand.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has voted against the establishment of a deputy Federal leader position at its ongoing congress at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand.
Chairperson of the constitutional review committee, Kevin Mileham, confirmed that the proposal ultimately failed to secure the required two-thirds majority.
“Amendment 36 received 50.08% of the vote. There is no provision for a re-vote, so we will not be doing a re-vote. Those of you who are complaining, you did not even come close to the two-thirds majority that would be required,” Mileham said.
The amendment was proposed by KZN MPL Mzamo Billy who expressed his concerns that the federal leader is increasingly occupied with responsibilities of government, leaving limited time to focus on internal party matters.
The debate over party’s internal structure unfolded alongside broader discussions about discipline, membership and constitutional reform, with DA MP Glynnis Breytenbach defending the party’s rules and rejecting claims that members are being silenced.
“If you don’t like the contract, you don’t have to be a member,” Breytenbach said.
She added that there are no DA members who are being “suppressed”, but emphasised the importance of maintaining internal cohesion.
The congress is considering a total of 54 constitutional amendments, which could significantly reshape the party’s governance.
The party was unapologetic about its wins since joining the government of national unity, including fighting against an increase in Value Added Tax (VAT) increase, and taking the Expropriation Act and NHI to court.
Helen Zille, outgoing DA federal council chairperson, addressed the congress, saying the party was on track to become the largest party in SA’s metros in the upcoming municipal polls.
Zille will stand as DA’s candidate for Joburg mayor in the 2026 municipal election.
She had long been rumoured to be the preferred candidate to stand for mayor in Joburg, which is currently in state of crisis.
The city’s infrastructure is collapsing due to years of neglect and failure to maintain critical networks like water and electricity.
Roads are littered with potholes, and buildings have fallen into disrepair and decay.
One of the biggest issues in governance is that there is no outright majority for any party in the city, which has forced it to operate under incredibly shaky coalitions, which are susceptible to collapse.
The DA is currently the second-largest political party in the City of Joburg, with 26% of the vote, behind the African National Congress (ANC), which received 34%. ActionSA is third with 16%
“And from there, we move to the next milestone: becoming South Africa’s biggest party. Woza 2029, woza!” she said.
The ANC beat the DA by almost 19 percentage points in the 2024 national election – 40.18% to 21.81%. Recent polling from the Social Research Foundation (SRF) and Ipsos indicate that the DA is up to between 25% and 28%. The ANC, on the other hand, is down to between 35% and 39%.
Zille emphasised the DA’s commitment to liberal democracy, rejecting far-right and “woke left” politics, and uniting under shared values.
She expressed confidence in the new generation of DA leaders and received a standing ovation after her speech.
The two-day congress concludes on Sunday, with the announcement of the top leadership of the party. The position of federal leader of the party is being contested by Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and Sedibeng District Municipality councillor Sibusiso Dyonase.