DA elects Zille as president

By Tando Mfengwana
06 May 2007

Cape Town Mayor Helen Zille has been unanimously elected the leader of the Democratic Alliances today at the party’s congress at Gallagher Estate in Midrand.

She recieved786 votes from the more than a thousand delegates, with the party’s Eastern Cape leader coming in second with 228 votes, and the Joe Seremane just getting 65 votes.

There were six spoilt ballots.

She steps in the place of Tony Leon, who led the party for 13 years.

She is but the second elected female president of a political party in South Africa, the first being Patricia de Lille, President of the Independent Democrats.

De Lille has extended her congratulations to Zille.

She added that “The ID respects the choice of the structures of the DA and hopes to see a considerable change in the DA from its traditional obstructive politics to the politics of engagement.”