Newly elected DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis is committed to making the governing coalition work and will meet President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday.
Cape Town mayor Hill-Lewis was elected head of the pro-business DA at a party conference held in Midrand over the weekend.
The DA is the second-biggest party in the government of national unity formed in 2024, when the ANC lost its parliamentary majority in the general elections.
Hill-Lewis told reporters on Monday that he thought the coalition government was “the best chance that South Africa had in probably 25 years … to get our country on a better path of higher growth and more jobs and proper reform”.
He described his appointment with Ramaphosa on Tuesday as a “get-to-know-you meeting”.
Accepting responsibility with humility
“I’m not going there to try and throw any weight around,” Hill-Lewis said, adding that he wanted to remain as Cape Town mayor rather than seeking a post in national government.
Hill-Lewis has been mayor of Cape Town, South Africa’s tourism hub, since the last municipal elections in 2021.
In his speech on Sunday at Gallagher Estate, he said that he was accepting the responsibility of leading DA with humility and gratitude and with a deep sense of duty.
“I stand before you as your newly elected leader with one promise. However long I have the privilege of serving in this job, I will be dedicated to the mission of building a stronger South Africa for everyone,” Hill-Lewis said.
“South Africa is worth it. We have a great country. And we are a great people. We all love this country too much to see it fail.
“Together we will build a stronger South Africa. And, to achieve that, we will build a stronger Democratic Alliance.”
Hill-Lewis praises Mmusi Maimane
He said that the DA did not become the party it is today by accident, stating that it was built over many years by leaders who each strengthened the party in different ways, often in difficult times, and against the prevailing tide.
The Cape Town mayor also heaped praises for the first black leader of the DA, Mmusi Maimane, saying he was one of the best leaders to have led the party.
Hill-Lewis told the gathering that the purpose of the DA is to see people lifted out of poverty.
“South Africa is filled with people who work hard every day to build better lives for their families. They deserve a government that works just as hard for them.
“And they deserve a political movement that believes in our country’s potential. The DA must be that movement. Not a movement based on empty slogans and false promises.” — Reuters
- Geordin Hill-Lewis, Cape Town mayor, was elected leader of the pro-business Democratic Alliance (DA) at a party conference in Midrand.
- He emphasizes commitment to making the 2024 coalition government with the ANC work as the best chance in 25 years for South Africa’s growth and reform.
- Hill-Lewis plans to meet President Cyril Ramaphosa for a "get-to-know-you" meeting but intends to remain Cape Town mayor rather than seeking a national post.
- In his leadership acceptance speech, Hill-Lewis promised dedication to building a stronger South Africa and a stronger DA, highlighting unity and responsibility.
- He praised former DA leader Mmusi Maimane for his leadership and reinforced the DA's mission to lift people out of poverty with genuine, hardworking governance.
Newly elected DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis is committed to making the governing coalition work and will meet President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday.
Cape Town mayor Hill-Lewis was elected head of the pro-business DA at a party conference held in
Hill-Lewis told reporters on
He described his appointment with Ramaphosa on Tuesday as a "get-to-know-you meeting".
"I'm not going there to try and throw any weight around," Hill-Lewis said, adding that he wanted to remain as Cape Town mayor rather than seeking a post in national government.
Hill-Lewis has been mayor of Cape Town,
In his speech on
“I stand before you as your newly elected leader with one promise. However long I have the privilege of serving in this job, I will be dedicated to the mission of building a stronger
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He said that the DA did not become the party it is today by accident, stating that it was built over many years by leaders who each strengthened the party in different ways, often in difficult times, and against the prevailing tide.
Hill-Lewis told the gathering that the purpose of the DA is to see people lifted out of poverty.
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