More than 2,000 delegates are set to descend on Johannesburg this weekend for the DA’s high-stakes elective congress, a pivotal moment that could reshape the party’s leadership and direction ahead of crucial elections.
The two-day congress, taking place on Saturday and Sunday, will see party members vote for a new federal leadership team to steer the DA into its next chapter. Key policy positions are also expected to be debated, setting the tone for the party’s future.
With nearly 700 delegates, the Western Cape is sending the largest provincial delegation, and party leaders say the mood is electric.
DA Western Cape chairperson Jaco Londt said excitement has been building as delegates begin arriving.
“Some of the people have arrived already. Some of the buses are leaving later this afternoon, others are leaving early tomorrow morning, and you can just hear the excitement from across the province.
“What I’m also quite excited about is for more South Africans to see how we practice internal democracy, but also, hear the ideas being put forward,” he said.
Londt said the congress could usher in a new, younger leadership cohort.
“We have such an exciting young crop of leaders who have put up their hands, and there’s a very real possibility that without any said quotas, we will have an incredibly young, diverse team that is going to take us forward, and that is quite exciting.”
He added that the party is preparing to step into a new phase, with leadership changes expected across several key positions. Voting for the federal council has already concluded, while the weekend will see elections for the federal chairperson, finance chairperson, and three deputy chairperson positions, among others.
Londt also defended the DA’s identity within the Government of National Unity, saying its leaders are proving their value in government.
“I’m incredibly proud of what Ashor Sarupen is doing as a deputy finance minister, and how we’re using our influence there for positive change. I’m excited to see how people like Leon Schreiber and Dean (Macpherson) are performing, and it is great to have more South Africans seeing the alternative,” he said.
“Even though internally, we might sometimes disagree with one another, you’re still proud of your colleagues that deliver, and that’s what our brand is, and more and more people are starting to see that.”
DA provincial leader Tertuis Simmers said the party is entering a crucial period, with leadership changes coming amid rising political stakes.
“The feeling in the mood so far is very positive. Noting that there are a number of key positions which will, for the first time, see a change of hands where new blood will be entering the system, so to speak, at the federal level.
“But very important for us is that 2026 is also a local government election year during which we will be electing a new leadership, who will also then lead us not only to a local government election, but also understanding that we also, in three years time, heading towards the national and provincial elections.”
Political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe said the DA appears to be deliberately repositioning itself by promoting younger leaders.
“To start having young people who might be there in politics for the next 10 to 15 years. Having the mayor of Cape Town, who seems to enjoy a lot of support, and who also comes from the DA’s youth organisation. Effectively, someone who has gone through the leadership course within the DA.
“They see that as an investment that was made in time, and if you look at the performance of the young people – the minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, is also one of those people who has risen within the DA.
“So the posture of the DA is to say, we are going to avail to the nation, people who are young, who are steeped in the DA’s ideology of liberalism, but also who can be attractive to young people.
“I think what is the DA is trying to do, is to position itself for the future. Expect more young leaders coming out of the congress,” Seepe said.
But he warned that generational renewal alone would not be enough.
“The second part that they may need to do, beyond behaving like young people, is also the posture of their politics. Whether or not they are going to start rethinking beyond the white liberalism that seems to ignore the South African reality.”
Seepe said the DA has previously elevated young leaders like Mmusi Maimane and Lindiwe Mazibuko but struggled to sustain that momentum. He argued that the party’s biggest test will be how it grapples with inequality and historical disadvantage.
“Therefore, when you say people must compete on an equal basis, you are also saying that those who are privileged will continue to be privileged.
“If you treat this person who is privileged, who has had the benefit of education, or also old money, and then you have somebody who comes from an informal settlement, and you compare them equally, you are continuously disadvantaging the person who comes in with a historic disadvantage, that has nothing to do with their choices.”
Theolin Tembo
iol.co.za