DA faction takes on 'ANC-lite' rivals as tensions rise on road to congress
Image: Phill Magakoe
A letter written by two prominent DA MPs has sparked yet another debate on racial representation in the party.
Gavin Davis and Michael Cardo penned a letter dissuading delegates from supporting constitutional amendments aimed at broadening racial diversity and membership of the DA Women’s Network.
The letter, titled “Real progressives reject groupthink”, slammed a proposal aimed at making the party leadership more representative of the country’s demographics.
Davis, a former special adviser to Western Cape premier Helen Zille, was until last year the DA’s policy chief.
Cardo has previously served as a director of policy research for Zille, and the two men are seen as part of a group of DA leaders resisting moves to transform the party.
A heated debate about race and transformation is expected at the DA congress in Pretoria next month.
Insiders say that the party’s discussions over how to attract more black voters pitted the “progressive group” against a number of white male liberals, who feared losing their grip on power within the party.
One insider said this dispute was reflected in the contest for election as the party’s federal chair between Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga and his Nelson Mandela Bay counterpart Athol Trollip.
Read the full story in Sunday Times.