MBOMBELA – Yesterday marked one year since South Africans last went to the polls in the general elections. Two members of the DA have been looking forward to the day, as the party can now amend its candidate lists.
This will pave the way for Mr James Masango, newly elected provincial leader, and Mr Anthony Benadie, former provincial leader, to effectively swap places. Masango was elected to the national assembly in May 2014, while Benadie was elected to provincial legislature.
He did not stand as Mpumalanga leader during the party’s elections in March. Masango was elected to the position unopposed.
Yet they both had to remain where they were, as resigning from their positions before the lists could be amended meant that the person directly under them on the lists, would simply have moved up into the vacated seats.
But that can now change, as the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) rules allow the process to have the lists amended to now commence. It may still take a few months to have these finalised, but this will allow Masango to join the Mpumalanga legislature as the party leader.
In turn Benadie will contest the position of deputy chairman of the DA’s federal council, to be elected by the council on Sunday during the party’s federal congress.
“If elected, my serving in parliament will also enable me to effectively execute my duties with absolute dedication and commitment,” he said in a statement.
Masango told Lowvelder he was looking forward to returning to the province.
