By Yaseen Kippie

This past weekend, the Western Cape congress of the Democratic Alliance (DA) voted in an individual to take one of the party’s top spots: leadership of the party in the only province governed by the DA. Bonginkosi Madikizela is now in the DA hot seat, but what will he bring amidst internal and external struggles facing the party?

Madikizela describes the win as ‘positively overwhelming’, and says that he and the DA must focus on the work that must be done inside and outside the party.

“We must consolidate our support following a bruising congress. It is human nature that those who did not make it, feel disilussioned, but our immediate task is to bring people together, because we need each other,” he remarked.

Madikizela maintains the objective of the DA to become the South African government in the 2019 national general elections. He says that in order to gain the South African peoples votes in the elections, the DA should not slack in service delivery.

Madikizela, known for past contestations in previous parties he belonged to -including the ANC and UDM-, has, as one of his first tasks, to deal with the conflict between estranged Cape Town mayor Patricia De Lille and Alderman JP Smith.

“The DA has internal systems to deal with this issue, but it iss concerning when you see prominent leaders taking disagreements to the public domain. However, I trust the structures, as they do not look at your profile, and action will be taken if there is wrong doing from anyone.”

Social Development MEC Albert Fritz, voted as Madikizela’s deputy, will be instrumental in tackling the Western Cape’s social challenges, especially gangsterism. Madikizela will focus on both fixing the underresourcement of policing, as well as tackling the root social ills related to gun violence.

Madikizela also promises that he will not allow citizens in the Western Cape to run out of water.

“All our municipalities are working on various plans, including more desalination plants and water recycling. Previous plans failed due to the assumption that we would get enough water during the last winter period, but now we are not planning for the next winter. I will not allow citizens to run out of water.” [VOC]