Gwarube to vie for one of three deputy federal chairpersons at DA congress

Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube said her party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), is at a pivotal point for growth, and it’s spurred her on to vie for one of three deputy federal chairpersons at this weekend’s federal congress.

Gwarube believes the young crop of candidates who are looking to take up leadership roles in the party’s structures will be good for the party’s internal democracy.

A former party whip in Parliament, Gwarube said if she’s successful, she will prioritise supporting the party’s foot soldiers.

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At 36, Gwarube has already spent more than 15 years in the party, transitioning from various communications roles to a Parliamentarian and now a government minister.

She believes the party has produced a good pipeline of future potential leaders and said its younger generation has the appeal to grow the party across political lines in a new era of coalition governments.

“I think young people, diverse groups of people, people of different races are going to bring to the decision-making table, a diversity of views.”

As deputy to the party’s federal chairperson, the most powerful position in the party’s management structures, Gwarube wants to plough her energy into capacitating and empowering activists and councillors.

“One of the things I would like to do as a deputy federal chair is I would want to introduce formalised structures in how we disseminate our message effectively to our councillors in a language they understand, in a context they understand.”

Gwarube, who nominated Geordin Hill-Lewis for the party’s leadership job, believes that under his stewardship, their generation can lead the party to its best electoral performance in 2029.