Democratic Alliance (DA) Parliamentary leader John Steenhuizen says race should not play a role in the election of the party’s interim leader.
Steenhuizen is widely expected to be elected DA interim leader. The DA will elect its interim leader when the party’s Federal Council sits in Johannesburg today.
The party says the council has only one item on the agenda – the election of the Interim Federal leader and interim Federal chairperson to lead the party until the Federal congress next year.
The other candidate is member of the Gauteng Legislature Makashule Gana. Western Cape leader Bonginkosi Madikizela withdrew from the race last last week.
There are three candidates for the position of interim Federal chairperson. Steenhuizen says his race should have nothing to do with his capabilities.
“It shouldn’t matter which colour you are in South Africa… you should be judged on your contribution, and I think that leaders, white, black, indian and coloured, need to step up and show what they can do for South Africa, because the situation is so desperate now… ten-million people unemployed, the economy contracting, people don’t care what the colour of the surgeon is, they want the healing and the medicine, that’s where they need to focus.
