• Sthembiso Ngema replaces Francois Rodgers after winning the leadership election at the party congress in Durban over the past weekend.

• The new leader plans to work closely with traditional leaders and business groups to win more municipalities for the DA.

Former police reservist Sthembiso Ngema is the new leader of the DA in KwaZulu-Natal. He won the top job at the party congress at the Okive Convention Centre in Durban over the weekend.

Ngema replaces Francois Rodgers. Rodgers is stepping back to focus on government work and his family business.

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The new leader is from Lamontville township in the south of Durban. He grew up in the rural area of kwaMaphumulo near Stanger.

Ngema is part of a young group of politicians taking control of the DA in the province. They are replacing older leaders like Rodgers, Roger Barrows, Douglas Gibson, Dianne Kohler Banard and the late Tex Collins.

Ngema plans to travel across KwaZulu-Natal to meet communities and support councillors. He says he wants to build strong ties with traditional leaders and business groups to win more municipalities.

"As I said, we have already built relationships with amaKhosi and iziNduna but most importantly we have a task ahead of us to ensure that we strengthen that relationship," he said.

He said the party visited iNkosi Nyazilwezulu Shembe in Madumbe in 2013 and they have kept a strong bond since then.

Ngema said the DA is also working with businesses, ratepayer groups and church leaders. He wants all these groups to move forward together to reach their goals.

He said people who care deeply about the party built the DA in KwaZulu-Natal.

The congress also elected Martin Meyer as deputy leader and Dean Macpherson as provincial chairperson. Sandile Mnikathi is the first deputy chairperson. Sakhile Mngadi took the second deputy chairperson spot and Swelakhe Shelembe is the third deputy chairperson.