South Africa: Mpho Phalatse Will Stay Put in the Democratic Alliance Despite Losing Leadership Race

Democratic Alliance / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
John Steeenhuisen, leader of the Democratic Alliance.
2 April 2023
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
By Velani Ludidi

Mpho Phalatse has accepted losing the leadership race and reiterated that she is not planning to leave the DA for ActionSA.

In what insiders call the biggest win ever recorded by a federal leader candidate, John Steenhuisen has won the DA leadership position and Dr Mpho Phalatse has accepted her loss, saying the party missed out on her ahead of the 2024 general elections.

Presiding officers declined to share the number of votes received by both candidates, but DA insiders told Daily Maverick that Steenhuisen registered a convincing victory of 84%, a 4% increase from the previous congress.

In her final leadership push, Phalatse took a swipe at Steenhuisen, invoking comparisons with Zuma on Saturday, 1 April. Her speech failed to gain her more support from the DA delegates at Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand.

Speaking to Daily Maverick, Phalatse said:

"I am disappointed obviously, I raised my hand for a reason. I believe that the Democratic Alliance had an opportunity here [with me] ahead of 2024 [general elections] given the ANC's imminent collapse. However, I will stand behind John and I will not be leaving the Democratic Alliance."

Phalatse said suggestions that her contesting for the federal leader position was her way of opening the door to leave the party are people's "crazy" imaginations.

Dr Mpho Phalatse embraced by...

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