'It's not a vote against Helen': Phumzile Van Damme endorses Gauteng leader for federal council chair

DA shadow minister of communications Phumzile Van Damme has endorsed Mike Moriarty for the position of chairperson of the party's federal council.

Moriarty, who is a Gauteng leader in the DA, is challenging Helen Zille, who was elected into the position in 2019.

“In the upcoming DA congress, as a member of the federal council, I will be voting Mike Moriarty for chairperson of federal council. I have read his offer, thought about it extensively and I agree with much of it. Good luck, Mike,” she tweeted on Wednesday.

Van Damme said her voting for Moriarty is not a vote against Zille. She made it clear that while they have had disagreements before, there is no bad blood between them.

“We have sorted our differences. We're good,” she said. 

Van Damme said she does not always endorse candidates for internal elections as they can be “fraught”, “complex” and even “a little malicious”.  

The DA on Wednesday said three positions will be contested during its virtual elective conference at the end of the month.

Mbali Ntuli and interim leader John Steenhuisen will go head-to-head for the position of party leader.

Anton Bredell, Annelie Lotriet, Refiloe Nt'sekhe and Jacques Smalle are all vying for the position of deputy federal chair.

Dion George has been nominated unopposed as the federal finance chairperson.

James Masango and Thomas Walters have also been nominated unopposed as the deputy chairpersons of federal council.

The position of federal chairperson remains uncontested as Ivan Meyer was nominated unopposed. 

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