Geordin Hill-Lewis, who is expected to emerge as the new DA leader at the party’s upcoming federal congress, has pledged to back incumbent leader John Steenhuisen to remain in the cabinet as agriculture minister.
Hiil-Lewis told the Sunday Times this week he would ask President Cyril Ramaphosa to retain Steenhuisen in the post to continue dealing with the foot-and-mouth disease crisis.
Hill-Lewis is in a two-horse race with Sibusiso Dyonase, the leader of the DA caucus in Gauteng’s Sedibeng district municipality. The congress is scheduled for April 11 at Gallagher Estate in Midrand.
There has been speculation about Steenhuisen’s future in the government of national unity (GNU) cabinet since his announcement in January that he would not seek re-election as DA leader.
Steenhuisen has said it is up to the next DA leader to decide whether he should stay on in the GNU cabinet.
Hill-Lewis, who has a close relationship with Steenhuisen, said that rather than removal from office, the agriculture minister needed all the support he could get to deal with the foot-and-mouth crisis.
It’s important that there’s a healthy distance between me and the cabinet for a few reasons. Firstly, I don’t want the president to have any sword above my neck. I want to be able to say what I want to say about what is happening in South Africa with freedom
— Geordin Hill-Lewis
“Certainly, not for the foreseeable future ... there’s a lot that has to happen. This whole interview assumes that I am going to be the leader, but we must first get through congress,” Hill-Lewis said from his office in Cape Town, where he is mayor.
“Then I need to meet the president. I meet the president at various government things. I have never once had a sit-down meeting with the president.”
Hill-Lewis said he was not interested in serving in the cabinet himself.
“I think it’s important that there’s a healthy distance between me and the cabinet for a few reasons. Firstly, I don’t want the president to have any sword above my neck. I want to be able to say what I want to say about what is happening in South Africa with freedom.
“I have the utmost respect for the office of the president, but from a political perspective, I do not want to answer to the president on a daily basis. I want to be able to say what I want to say from a DA perspective, and I think that’s important for the DA and the country.”
Hill-Lewis’s reluctance to join the cabinet would result in the creation of three centres of power in the DA. He would lead the party from his mayoral office in the Cape Town Civic Centre, with others heading the caucus in parliament and the cabinet group.
He said this would not cause friction within the party.
“The only time there will be friction is if there’s a pursuit of another objective, other than our shared objective. But it will be my job to enforce discipline in the organisation; that is the job of a leader, and I will do that.”
It’s important for the next phase of DA development and growth that we have a new set of significantly younger leaders — and by far the most diverse leadership core in South Africa
— Hill-Lewis
The 39-year-old Hill-Lewis is likely to emerge from the DA congress with a cohort of millennials to help him captain the DA ship. These include deputy minister of finance Ashor Sarupen, who is seen as a leading contender to replace Helen Zille as chair of the DA federal council, as well as basic education minister Siviwe Gwarube, minister of communications Solly Malatsi, and former Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink, who are contesting for the three deputy federal chair posts.
“This excites me a lot,” said Hill-Lewis. “If I look ahead, in the next two weeks I think we will have a major generational shift in leadership in the DA.
“These are friends of mine. We were in the young leadership programme together; we were in the DA youth together; we were in Daso [the DA Student Organisation] together; we build branches together. And here we are standing for leadership together; that excites me a lot.
“I think it’s important for the next phase of DA development and growth that we have a new set of significantly younger leaders — and by far the most diverse leadership core in South Africa.
“It brings a sense of renewal to the party. Every congress is an opportunity for renewal, but particularly when you get such a big generational change.
“You get a fresher perspective, and we see that the voting population is getting younger, and the means of reaching out to voters is changing completely, so that can only stand us in good stead for our growth prospects.”
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