MP throws her hat into DA's Cape Town leadership race
Democratic Alliance MP Tandeka Gqada has entered the race to be one of three deputy leaders of the party’s Cape Metro region.
She is part of a collective challenging metro chairman Shaun August‚ an ally of Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille‚ at next month’s elective conference.
August is expected to be challenged by councillor Grant Twigg‚ with Gqada‚ mayoral committee member JP Smith and councillor Phindile Maxiti said to be part of Twigg’s team.
Gqada confirmed she was working with Twigg while Maxiti‚ already a deputy chairman‚ saying he is running alone but prepared to work with any candidate.
Smith confirmed he had been approached to run but had not made up his mind. Mayco member Anda Ntsodo also said he was running but would not say if he was part of August’s team. Another councillor‚ Chantal Cerfontein‚ is also said to be running but could not be reached for comment.
The build-up to the conference has been highly charged following a breakdown between a group seen to be aligned to De Lille and another said to be aligned to Premier Helen Zille and current provincial leader Bonginkosi Madikizela.
The tensions led to Twigg’s suspension after he contested a position of sub-council chairman against the wishes of the party’s leadership late last year.
His suspension has since been reversed but tensions reached boiling point when news broke that De Lille was planning to sack Smith from the mayoral committee in January‚ a move that didn’t materialise following intense lobbying.
Whoever emerges as chairman will have significant sway over who is elected as Western Cape leader. Currently‚ the race is between Lennit Max and Madikizela.