Cape Town – DA delegates have reportedly denied a proposed constitutional amendment seeking to introduce a deputy federal leader position.
The motion was reportedly fiercely contested during the party’s 2023 federal congress on Saturday.
Reports said a manual counting of the voting cards was done and auditors were called in to confirm the results.
According to EWN a re-run of the vote had to be done twice, with delegates refusing to accept the outcome. The move was so fiercely contested that votes were split nearly 50/50.
The report said if the motion was accepted Mpho Phalatse or John Steenhuisen would have become deputy to whoever is elected party leader on Sunday.
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TimesLIVE reported that the motion was introduced by Sakhile Mngadi who said the party’s growth required the party leader to share their responsibilities with a deputy.
Mngadi said the party needed to position itself as a solid front going into 2024 and 2026 and the establishment of this role would effect positive change in the party’s future and growth.
The report said that the motion was mainly supported by members from Gauteng and the Western Cape.
One delegate said the margin was a positive sign the next congress in three years was likely to adopt the amendment.
“Compared to where it started to now, more and more people seem to be supporting the idea of a deputy federal leader,” the report quoted the delegate as saying.
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Compiled by Olwethu Mpeshe
