John Steenhuisen, the leader of South Africa’s largest opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, was reappointed as its head on Sunday. In his speech after being re-elected, Steenhuisen emphasised the need for a “united opposition” and positioned himself as an alternative leader for the country. He stated that the situation is no longer about politics but about the survival of democracy and the country itself. Steenhuisen added that South Africans expect the DA to step up and become the leader of the alternative government in South Africa.
Over 2,000 DA delegates gathered near Johannesburg over the weekend for the party’s congress. One delegate, Katlego Makgaleng, expressed their readiness to remove the corrupt ANC government and replace it with a strong DA government that cares about the people.
South Africa’s next general elections will be held in 2024, and the ANC, in power since 1994, has been losing ground in polls for the past decade. Another DA delegate, Imraan Keeka, expressed their excitement about Steenhuisen’s reappointment as the leader of the party and stated that this was the launchpad for the 2024 elections, where the party will work towards removing the ANC from the government.
The ANC faces growing discontent due to endemic unemployment, rising inequality, and a severe electricity crisis, leaving approximately 60 million South Africans without power for up to 12 hours a day.