Cape Town – In her bid for the DA leadership, Mpho Phalatse took a swipe at opponent John Steenhuisen, likening him to former president Jacob Zuma.
The former Johannesburg mayor was speaking at the party’s two-day federal congress in Midrand on Saturday.
The country’s official opposition party was electing new leadership, but the race for leadership was a two-horse race between Steenhuisen and Phalatse.
Phalatse compared herself to former US president Barack Obama.
“It is not the length of time in a party that determines one’s effectiveness. It is not the number of years that counts. It is about capability, experience, and qualifications.
“Jacob Zuma was a horrible president, with all his years in the ANC, yet Barrack Obama, with much fewer years in his party, was one of the best presidents America ever had,” the report quoted Phalatse as saying.
[WATCH] Federal leader candidate Mpho Phalatse says being at the helm should not only be about long service in the party but capabilities and eduction. #DAcongress2023 pic.twitter.com/kNUMiesPZ6
— Queenin Masuabi (@Queenin_M) April 1, 2023
On the other hand, Steenhuisen urged delegates to re-elect him, saying since he took over as an interim leader in 2019, he had been hard at work to rebuild the party.
“We must play a leading role in constructing a post-ANC South Africa,” Times Live quoted him as saying.
He also took a jab at Phalatse, saying having served 10 years as a councillor, he knew a lot about hard work, the report said.
“Only the politics of the long haul can bring about real political change,” the report quoted him as saying.
Meanwhile, in his opening address to DA delegates, the party’s federal chairperson Dr Ivan Meyer warned the ANC its days in national government were numbered, The Citizen reported.
“Mothers across South Africa are rightfully worried about their children and their future. Parents want a better future for their children. We want a better future for all South Africans.
“The suffering must end in South Africa. People no longer believe in the national government’s rhetoric. They want to see action. They want to see results,” the report quoted Meyer as saying.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
