DA Federal Congress: Kayser-Echeozonjoku says local government perspective is important

Democratic Alliance (DA) Johannesburg caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku says there needs to be more local government leaders in the party’s national leadership.

Kayser-Echeozonjoku is running for one of the three deputy federal chairperson positions.

She spoke to Eyewitness News on the sidelines of the party’s federal congress at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand.

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For many years, there’s been talk of a ‘parliamentary clique’ in the higher structures of the DA leadership.

However, this year there seems to be a shift.

Geordin Hill-Lewis, who is widely expected to emerge as the party’s federal leader, is the DA caucus leader in Cape Town.

While two of the seven candidates for deputy federal chairperson are also from local government.

One of them is Kayser-Echeozonjoku, who believes a local government perspective is important.

"I think a different perspective from areas where the DA is not in government to see the needs, the expectations, and what people in those areas are experiencing—and the support they will need is slightly different. That is precisely why I believe local government perspective needs to be there."

Voting concluded on Sunday morning with the results expected in the afternoon.