There are no divisions in DA - or free rides in SA

THE report "Top DA man's attack on Zille" in no way bears any relation to reality. I have in no way, shape or form distanced myself from Helen Zille on how we propose to engage with the government over the next five years.

The DA leadership, including both myself and Helen Zille, believes that the president of South Africa must be afforded the level of respect the office deserves.

However, this in no way implies that the President should be given a free ride or not have serious questions raised about his past conduct. For example, there are still a number of unanswered questions relating to the National Prosecuting Authority's decision to drop fraud and corruption charges against President Zuma.

The reason why the DA has decided to take the NPA's decision on judicial review is because we believe it is essential for the long-term survival of the rule of law that these questions are answered and that justice is seen to be done.

Such actions lie at the heart of the DA's political project. We are committed to being a strong and effective opposition that is dedicated to defending the Constitution, providing solutions to South Africa's pressing challenges and, where we are in government, providing excellent and corruption-free service delivery to all South Africans.

This is the mandate that we were given in the recent elections by close to 3million South Africans and we are determined not to let them down.

Following our electoral success, the DA now has a caucus that is 77-strong and we are in better shape than ever to fulfil our constitutional obligations to hold the executive to account, to expose corruption and to ask the tough questions. Our most important task is to reassert the centrality of Parliament in South Africa's democratic order.

It is one of the worst legacies of the Mbeki era that Parliament became simply a rubber stamp for executive decisions, and I am determined to ensure that President Zuma is held to his undertakings in this regard. Failing to do so would be to the detriment of South Africa's public debate, and the vibrancy and strength of our democracy.

My greatest challenge, therefore, as the newly elected parliamentary leader of the DA, is to manage our caucus effectively in consultation with the national leadership and to ensure that the DA is at the forefront of the fight to reassert Parliament's essential role in our democracy.

This includes ensuring that every DA public representative is an expert in his or her field and at the cutting edge of the national debate; that every DA member of Parliament is making full use of every single lever that is available to hold the executive to account; and that every DA MP is in touch with the hopes, fears and aspirations of ordinary South Africans, and enabling these views to be properly articulated in Parliament.

In the post-election glow, it seems that many people have lost track of the fact that South Africa faces an enormous number of challenges, which, if not properly dealt with, will come back to haunt us in the future.

Therefore, the DA will focus its energy in Parliament on making sure that the Constitution is respected and that the ANC is not allowed to pass politically expedient legislation that undermines the word and spirit of the Constitution, such as it has on numerous occasions in the past.

We will also focus on issues such as crime, education, eradicating poverty, unemployment and healthcare, which are the problems that matter most to the vast majority of South Africans.

We remain steadfast and united in our commitment to live up to the responsibility vested in us by our voters and we will not be sidetracked by any mischievous attempt to drive divisions where there simply aren't any.

The stakes for the future of South Africa demand nothing but the best from the DA and I, for my part, will make sure we deliver.ý Trollip is the leader of the DA in Parliament