The Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Joe Seremane told South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) radio on Friday that he will make an announcement within weeks as to whether he will make himself available to stand for the leadership of the official opposition.
Seremane is the federal chairperson of the party and, if elected, will be the first black leader of the official opposition.
He phoned in during an interview with Athol Trollip — the Eastern Cape leader of the DA — who on Thursday became the first person to formally throw his name into the leadership hat.
Leader Tony Leon announced his retirement as party leader and leader of the opposition late last year. He is to vacate the position at the next national conference of the party in Midrand in May.
Seremane said people had been calling him and urging him to stand for the position. ”There are so many people calling me, across the political spectrum … across the racial spectrum.”
Asked by the SABC interviewer what he thought of Trollip — who speaks English, Xhosa and Afrikaans fluently — Seremane said he is a good man. ”There is a lot of talent within the DA itself.”
Trollip said he hoped Seremane would make himself available as a candidate. ”If Joe does make himself available … it will improve the democracy within our party. It will show that the leadership of the DA is not just a mantle that is given away casually.”
Asked by a caller whether the DA will be ”an irritant” under his leadership, he said it certainly will not be.
”It will be more like a neighbour building a new house next to the African National Congress [ANC]. There will be a lot of noise and a lot of construction. What I plan to do is build a viable alternative to the ANC. Where possible we will be able to cooperate with the ANC if they move in the right direction.”
All the challenges to the country are challenges to the DA as well as the ANC, he said. — I-Net Bridge