DA Federal Congress: Steenhuisen plans to rebuild trust among party voters
DA interim leader, John Steenhuisen says if he wins the party's leadership race, he will work to rebuild trust among current and new voters.
He and MPL Mbali Ntuli are contesting the Federal Leader position at the party's Federal Congress - which kicks off tomorrow.
Newswatch sat down with the two candidates, who are both from KZN ahead of the elective conference.
Steenhuisen who temporarily took over the reins after Mmusi Maimane resigned, says if he's victorious, he intends using the position to pick up the pieces from the last elections.
"I don't want to be a party leader that competes always for second place. I want the party to be the core of a new majority in South Africa and that means winning over people who have never voted for us before.
READ: DA Federal Congress: Ntuli says she's fit for DA top job
"It's not an either-or and we got to win back the trust of people who are not happy with the DA in the last election but also go out aggressively to seek new voters who are going to help swell the ranks," he said.
"So when the high chips poke again comes around building the new majority, we got a significant chunk of chips that we can put on the table to help build that new majority in South Africa."
He believes he can offer an alternative to lift people out of poverty and advance South Africa.
"It's also been about getting up and making a difference and I hope to be able to use this new position to advance the cause of building a prosperous, more inclusive South Africa that is able to put more South Africans onto a path of prosperity," he said.
"That journey started 21 years ago and it will go on long after any leadership position as well," he said.
Steenhuisen says whoever comes out on top at this weekend's congress must be supported.
"I have been very clear from the beginning, I'm not standing against anybody, I am standing for a set of ideas and manifesto which I have put before the party and they must make a decision," he added.
Whoever the new leader is will have the biggest cheerleader in me because I think that is how democratic organisations must work.
"We must have the contestation, we must have the clash of ideas but when there is a result, I think we need to get behind the leader and make sure we have a unity of purpose that goes out very clearly to South Africans," he said.
Watch the full interview below:
