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Rise of DA-led government in 2024 is inevitable, says Steenhuisen
John Steenhuisen says the 'undeniable implosion' of the ANC is inevitable ahead of the much-anticipated 2024 general elections.
Newly re-elected DA leader, John Steenhuisen speaks after the leadership position was announced at the DAs Federal Congress held at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, 2 April 2023. Picture: Neil McCartney / The Citizen
Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen says he has “absolute faith” that the DA will become the country’s first opposition party since the dawn of democracy to lead national government.
DA federal congress
Steenhuisen on Sunday delivered his political report to delegates on the last day of the DA’s federal congress in Johannesburg at Gallagher Convention Centre.
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Earlier, delegates attending the conference voted for the party’s new leadership, with Steenhuisen largely expected to be reelected for a second four-year term. His challenger for the federal leader position is former Johannesburg mayor Mpho Phalatse.
The results of the elections are expected to be announced on Sunday afternoon around 14:30pm.
‘Undeniable implosion of ANC’
In his political address, Steenhuisen said the “undeniable implosion” of the African National Congress (ANC) was inevitable ahead of the much-anticipated 2024 general elections.
He said the DA was the government in waiting to take over from the governing party that has been in power since 1994.
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The DA leader said the growth in support for the official opposition party was demonstrated in credible polls that it had conducted.
“The ANC’s decline is terminal, and it’s just a matter now of how fast. If this decline in support can be accelerated up until the election, and then held there as they roll out their squeeze campaign, we will see the end of the ANC in 2024.
“What that means is that everyone in this room stands to make history next year. We will have the privilege – and the massive responsibility – to be the first party in South Africa in seventy-five years to go from opposition into a leading role in government,” said Steenhuisen.
He said South Africa has not experienced a change of government from one party to another since the National Party won its first election in 1948.
“For the next 46 years, no one really challenged them in elections. And this was followed by 29 years of uninterrupted ANC rule.
“But next year we have a chance to change that story. We have a chance to put to the test, for the first time in the history of our democracy, the most fundamental aspect of our constitution: the peaceful change of government through the democratic vote of citizens.
“I hope you all realise just how big and momentous this is, and what a responsibility that places on each of us in the DA.”
Two-horse race between ANC, DA
While there will be more parties on the ballot paper during next year’s polls, Steenhuisen said the elections will be a simple two-horse race between the ANC and DA.
He said even without outright majorities, either the ANC or DA would emerge at the centre of a national coalition government.
“That is the reality our country faces today.
“But I also need you to realise that we enter these elections in this strong position not by default or by accident, but because we took some very bold decisions at a time when things looked much worse for our party, and then worked very hard to put ourselves in this position.”
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Steenhuisen said when he stepped into the position of interim federal leader in October 2019 after Mmusi Maimane quit the party, the DA was in electoral decline.
He said according to IPSOS at the time, the DA was polling at just 16% and it was struggling to define its values.
The DA leader said his mandate at that time was to “stabilise an unstable party by anchoring the DA to its values amid all the noise and critique and keeping the DA on message and on the big issues”.
“I’m delighted to report that the most accurate polling numbers available to us indicate that we have managed to do all of this, and more.
“Consider that in October of 2019, the DA’s support stood at just 16%. At the time, the ANC was at 59%.
“Today, our support stands at 26%, and the ANC’s has fallen to around 40%. That is a massive reversal.”
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