The DA says it is going ahead with its candidate selection process, which is entering its final phase, as the official opposition party gears up for the crucial 2024 national and provincial elections.
“This is a process that has lasted more than nine months and tested an in-depth array of skills and knowledge that any aspirant candidate would need to have to serve under the banner of the DA,” the party’s federal council chair Helen Zille said on Thursday.
She said there were a total of 11 “comprehensive steps” in the selection process, and the DA was now on step nine.
“The process goes through 11 steps. The first is the application process, where everyone has to fill in an application form, attach the necessary documents (such as verification of qualifications) and provide a clear curriculum vitae in clear comparable fields, such as experience, contributions to the party, linguistic ability, achievements etc.
“We received over 1,300 applications,” Zille said.
She said the second step was the screening process.
The third stage dealt with the familiarisation of candidates with the DA’s values, principles, policies and constitution.
“Each candidate must achieve 80% in this test to pass on to the next stage, which involves an appearance before an electoral college elected from branches in each province. The fifth stage of the process involves multiple-choice questions around the role of a member of parliament, an MPL or a member of the NCOP [National Council of Provinces].
“It also requires candidates to write an op-ed or a speech on one of three randomly generated topics.”
In the following stages, the party looks at an applicant’s past role in the party, impromptu speeches and work for the party, among other things, which are scored and the scores are moderated. The process is observed by an independent ombudsperson, who is there to prevent any manipulation, and is empowered to take specific steps should any emerge.
The ninth step involves a ranking of the list of candidates who appeared before the selection panel for each province.
Zille said: “The DA remains committed to providing the best possible candidates for the job in our quest to rescue SA, and provide all South Africans with a government that puts the interests of its citizens ahead of anything else.
“The DA is proud to have the most advanced and intensive candidate selection process to ensure that all our public representatives are fit-for-purpose and have the requisite qualities to serve communities across the length and breadth of the country,” said Zille.
“Throughout the process, the DA once again has been impressed with the calibre and dedication of the aspirant candidates and we look forward to welcoming new and returning incumbent public representatives into the various roles they will fulfil for the party.”
The party has recently been rocked by high-profile resignations, including long-time member Khume Ramulifho. He resigned from the party and as Gauteng’s member of the provincial legislature to join Rise Mzansi.
Among other reasons, Ramulifho said the DA’s direction had changed and the party was no longer an inclusive organisation that could win support across the country.
He also spoke out against inconsistencies in foreign policy, saying while the party had condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it had not done the same regarding Israel’s war against Hamas. He said the party previously had regional and provincial councils, where members and leaders exchanged ideas, planned, strategised and plotted the party’s future.
“Those councils are dead, there are no opportunities to raise critical matters [at grassroots level within the party],” he said. “The party is stagnant, it is not going to grow, it will regress because there are no ideas and no direction.”
Another senior member, Ghaleb Cachalia, also quit the party and parliament over differences with its stance on the Israel/Palestine conflict.
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