Solly Msimanga defeats Khume Ramulifho in DA Gauteng leader race

DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga was on Saturday re-elected after beating Gauteng MPL Khume Ramulifho.

In his victory speech, Msimanga directed the party to immediately start its campaign to dislodge the struggling ANC in the province.

He said the door-to-door campaign must start in earnest with a focus on registering people to vote and convincing those who have registered to come out in their numbers on election day.

This, he said, would be critical in the DA endeavour to remove the ANC from power.

“I want to say thank you very much for giving us the mandate to take us to what is going to be a victorious election in 2024,” said Msimanga in his acceptance speech. “We promise that this plane will land safely in 2024 in the legislature when we will be able to say to [Gauteng premier] Panyaza Lesufi ‘pack your bags and go’.”

The DA has to be out on the streets ensuring that its message resonates with Gauteng residents.

“We have people who need to be registered democrats, and those who are registered but are not voting need to be engaged. All of them need to hear the message from the DA, all of them need to ensure that they are registered and re-registered and turn out on election day — that is what the people of Gauteng are demanding of us,” Msimanga said.

The party has to intensify its pressure in holding the ANC accountable in the legislature, he said.

“In the next few months where we are in positions, the ANC must see hell between now and the elections. They will never breathe because we will ensure that we hold them to account,” he said.

“Tomorrow door-to-door starts, tomorrow registration starts, tomorrow the attack starts and we are not going to relent. We are going to be relentless as we are going to prove that we are the one and only alternative to the mess that South Africa has experienced.”

Msimanga paid tribute to his rival Ramulifho, who contested and lost the provincial chair position to him.

He told the DA provincial congress that the conference was done and now everyone had to unite behind the party.

“Democrats, allow me to say that the battle is never internal but always external. We need to focus our weapons, we need to focus our energy on the opponent,” he said. “We will lose a great opportunity if we remain internally focused and allow divisions to creep into the Democratic Alliance.”

Msimanga was elected alongside provincial chair Fred Nel and deputy provincial chair Pogiso Mthimunye.