‘ǯ– —†‡”‡•–‹ƒ–‡
JOHANNESBURG - Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen says it would be a grave mistake to underestimate the African National Congress (ANC) in next year’s national election.
Steenhuisen described the ANC as a wounded buffalo, that may rise and salvage itself in the 2024 general elections. He was speaking during the party’s Limpopo provincial congress in Polokwane.
There was celebrations and jubilation at the Polokwane DA conference, when the new leadership emerged. DA in Limpopo has elected new top seven leaders and additional members during conference.
Elected
Jacques Smalle has been elected chairperson, and Lindy Wilson a provincial leader. Addressing the delegates, party leader Steenhuisen, slammed the ANC for what he calls plunging the country into doom and gloom. He says the DA must work tirelessly to weaken the ANC in all spheres of government in the next 2024 general elections.
JOHANNESBURG - The Northern Alliance’s Gary van Niekerk has been elected as the new mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay.
Babalwa Lobishe was voted in as Deputy Mayor after old deputy mayor Khusta Jack declined his nomination.
The election of Van Niekerk comes after the Democratic Alliance’s (DA’s) Retief Odendaal was ousted in a motion of no confidence. Odendaal was removed on Friday through the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and African National Congress (ANC) alliance in The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.
The motion of no confidence was brought before the council by the EFF during a special council meeting and was supported by the Northern Alliance, Patriotic Alliance, and the ANC.
The EFF brought a motion against Odendaal because they said he failed to act against his deputy mayor, Mkhuseli Jack after the Auditor-General had found that companies belonging to Jack did business with the municipality.
However, the AG later cleared Jack of any wrongdoing.
Van Niekerk is the third mayor since the last local government elections in 2021. ANC councillor Eugene Johnson was elected as the new Speaker of the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality.
Odendaal told Newzroom Afrika the
DA disappointed that he was removed as mayor. “We are sad about the fact that our coalition can’t continue. We’ve seen last year under an ANC led coalition that this city nearly collapsed and there was absolutely no service delivery for our people.”