DA Federal congress: Zille confident in new generation of leaders

The “Iron Lady” of Democratic Alliance (DA) politics, Helen Zille, has expressed full confidence in the party’s new generation to continue building the organisation.

Delivering her final speech as the party’s Chairperson of the Federal Council on Saturday, Zille has, however, cautioned them not to take the party’s progress to date for granted.

The party gathered at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand for its annual federal congress at which new, younger leaders will be elected, and Zille, a former party leader, is bowing out of the party’s most powerful governance position.

Zille says growing the DA to become the biggest party in metro councils in the upcoming election has not been without hard lessons.

“We must never compromise on our core values. We must resist the pull of race-based politics, whether from the far right or the woke left. And we must build and defend the inclusive, rational centre of politics,” Zille said.