CoCT not among DA's WC mayoral candidates for now

As the Democratic Alliance (DA) on Thursday named the first eight of its 30 mayoral candidates for the Western Cape, the City of Cape Town was notably not among them.

DA federal chairperson Ivan Meyer said the focus is to first identify candidates in the rural municipalities.

While Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has made it clear he will run again, pressure is now also mounting on him to simultaneously contest for the party’s top job.

A day after announcing he would not contest for a third term, DA leader John Steenhuisen on Thursday reiterated he believes he is quitting on a high note for the party.

By the end of March, the DA said it would have named all its mayoral candidates for the province, including its flagship metro.

In a social media post, Hill-Lewis said he’s been approached by many members to stand for federal leader following Steenhuisen’s announcement.

But he said he will only make his intentions known when nominations officially open on 27 February.

However, Hill-Lewis said whatever is decided, he remains committed to stand for a second mayoral term.

“If I do stand for election as DA leader, I would welcome a robust and principled process focused on competing ideas for the future of our party and our country. We have many excellent leaders, and an open exchange of ideas can only strengthen us,” wrote Hill-Lewis.

Meanwhile, Steenhuisen said on Thursday that he remained committed to the party despite backing off from another leadership race.

“I believe I’m handing over a party in much better condition than the one that was handed to me in 2019. I’m full of hope and full of confidence in the direction our country is going as a result of the great strides the DA has made.”

On Thursday, Steenhuisen’s campaign manager, Dean Macpherson, said that it was untrue Steenhuisen has been hounded out of leadership by disgruntled supporters and donors.