Road to DA congress: Five-year term for Maimane divides party

More divisions have emerged in the higher echelons of the DA, with a top party member strongly objecting to moves to extend the office term of leader Mmusi Maimane from three to five years. 

In a strongly-worded letter to delegates attending the DA national elective congress scheduled for next weekend in Pretoria, chief whip John Steenhuisen has become the latest influential party MP to object to proposed changes to the DA constitution aimed at strengthening Maimane’s grip on power.

Steenhuisen has written to party delegates, urging them to reject a constitutional amendment to extend the office term of DA leader from three to  five years, saying this would make it difficult to hold leaders accountable on a regular basis.

The DA chief whip is also lobbying delegates to reject changes to the DA constitution that would see the party’s national management committee,  tasked with managing the daily affairs of the party, being reduced to just four members led by Maimane.

Steenhuisen is arguing that, if adopted, the proposal would amount to nothing but centralisation of power in the hands of a fewer leaders in a rapidly growing party.

Last week other top DA MPs, Gavin Davis and Michael Cardo, voiced their opposition to  a proposal to introduce race and racial representation in the constitution of the DA.

Read the full story in the Sunday Times