Sithembiso Ngema was elected as the provincial leader of the DA in KwaZulu-Natal.
Image: DA KZN / Facebook
The newly-elected leader of the DA in KwaZulu-Natal Sithembiso Ngema has allayed fears that the DA’s national leadership’s support for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s impeachment could affect the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU).
Reacting to the Constitutional Court’s ruling on Friday which set aside the Parliament’s vote against the Section 89 Panel’s decision, having found that Ramaphosa had a case to answer, the DA Federal leader Geordin Hill-Lewis said that his party would not vote with the ANC to block the establishment of the impeachment committee.
In 2022, the ANC, using its majority at the time, blocked the former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo’s recommendations to set up the impeachment committee to consider impeaching the president.
Ngema said on Sunday that he did not believe that his national leadership’s decision on this matter will have a bearing on the GPU. He stated that although he has not consulted with the party's caucus, he does not think any decision taken in Parliament on this matter would affect the province.
“Although I will have to meet with the caucus to hear their reasoning on the matter, I do not think the ANC itself would want to plunge the province into crisis by pulling out of the GPU. The ANC did not force Panyaza Lesufi to include the DA in the Gauteng coalition therefore I do not see it forcing the provincial leadership to quit the GPU on the basis of the DA’s national leadership’s position,” said Ngema.
Since the Concourt ruling on Friday, the GNU has been on tenterhooks with many predictions on what would happen if Ramaphosa is impeached or resigns.
Ngema said despite GNU and GPU, his party would not agree on anything that would compromise its principles, values and constitution. On his election, he vowed to grow the DA to play a major role in governing many municipalities in the province in the upcoming local government elections.
During the DA's conference held in Durban on Saturday, Ngema defeated the Member of Parliament Mzamo Billy to become the provincial leader, taking over the reins from the now retired Francois Rodgers.
Ngema was elected alongside Martin Meyer who won the deputy leader’s position. Meyer who is Public Works and Infrastructure MEC defeated eThekwini councillors Thembokwakhe Madonda and Bradley Singh.
Dean Macpherson retained his provincial chairperson’s position beating eThekwini councillor Welekazi Sibiya. The conference also saw a total of 10 candidates contesting the position of a deputy provincial chairperson.
willem.phungula@inl.co.za