By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Sthemiso Ngema was elected as the new leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) on Saturday, succeeding Francois Rodgers.
Hundreds of delegates converged at the Olive Convention Centre in Durban for the conference to elect the new leader.
The newly elected DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis opened the conference by declaring that his party was ready to govern the municipalities.
Hill-Lewis said under the DA, the tourist attraction, uMngeni Municipality, would not be an exception in the province, but a beginning, as it proves the party can govern in KwaZulu-Natal well.
“It is proof that where the DA is given a chance, we can bring competence, accountability, and delivery, but we must not stop there. We must fight for eThekwini with everything we have because Durban should be one of the great cities of Africa.”
The outgoing provincial leader Rodgers said he dedicated 30 years of his life to the party, 15 of which were mainly spent focusing on leadership.
He stated that this dedication robbed him of quality time with his family. Rodgers will remain the Finance MEC in the Government of Provincial Unity.
In a tightly contested race, Ngema beat fellow DA Member of Parliament Mzamo Billy to become the new face of the party.
Umgeni mayor Chris Pappas was widely viewed as a potential contender for provincial leader but declined nomination.
Ngema’s deputy is Martin Meyer, the MEC for Public Works and Infrastructure, while Dean Macpherson was elected as the provincial chairperson.
Macpherson’s deputies are Swelakhe Shelembe, Sakhile Mngadi, and Sandile Mnikathi.
Ngema took to the podium to address party delegates. His primary message was that the DA in KwaZulu-Natal must maintain a sharp focus on the upcoming November municipal polls.
“We are now stepping into a very tough phase where we have to fight for the elections,” Ngema stated.
Ngema emphasised to delegates that achieving success requires a unified party.
“We have to unite. As we say when we are campaigning, that we want to unite the province, let us lead by example. We said we want to look after our councillors and members of the provincial legislatures and parliament—let us lead by example.”
Ngema is no stranger to DA structures or KZN politics. He started as a councillor in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, where he worked hard on local issues affecting everyday residents.
In 2021 he was elected as one of the deputy provincial chairpersons, and in 2023 he became deputy provincial leader.
Of 54 municipalities in the province, DA aims to retain its current stronghold in uMngeni. The party has set its sights on winning the KwaDukuza Municipality and securing a “kingmaker” role in the eThekwini Metro, among others.