Msimanga officially vying for national leadership in the DA

With the Democratic Alliance (DA)’s national federal congress set for April, the party’s Gauteng leader, Solly Msimanga, has officially thrown his hat in the ring for a national leadership position.

Msimanga has announced at a media briefing in Pretoria on Friday that he’ll once again contest the position of federal chairperson.

The party opened the nomination process for its upcoming federal congress on Friday, which is expected to usher in a leadership change.

At the DA’s national federal congress in 2018, Msimanga contested the position of federal chairperson but lost to Athol Trollip.

Trollip has since left the DA and now serves as an ActionSA member of Parliament (MP).

ALSO READ: DA leadership race: Two senior leaders expected to make announcements

At the party’s next federal congress in 2022, the position was taken over uncontested by Ivan Meyer, while Msimanga remained the DA’s Gauteng leader.

Msimanga said the time has come for him to ascend to national office.

“I am humbled by the trust that you [are] bestowing [on] me and humbled by the nomination. I am deeply aware of the responsibility that comes when accepting this nomination. I accept nomination as the candidate for the federal chairperson of the Democratic Alliance - not for the title, not for prestige but for purpose.”

Msimanga was the mayor of Tshwane between 2016 and 2019, after which he became the party’s provincial leader.

He emphasised that he believes he possesses the qualities required to become the next federal chair.

“Why am I standing, I have the profile to reach each and every community in our country with the DA message. I have done it before, and I can do it again. I have served in every sphere of the party. I have been here as a councillor, chairperson of the caucus, director of the province and I have been here as the mayor [of Tshwane]. I have been here for 22 years.”