Mbali Ntuli said that her focus was now on campaigning for the party to boost its voter base ahead of next year’s local government elections.
FILE: Mbali Ntuli of the Democratic Alliance. Picture: Xanderleigh Dookey/EWN
DURBAN – Former Democratic Alliance (DA) youth leader Mbali Ntuli has pledged her support for the party’s newly elected leader, John Steenhuisen.
She said that her focus was now on campaigning for the party to boost its voter base ahead of next year’s local government elections.
Ntuli went up against Steenhuisen for the DA’s leadership position during the party’s elective congress held at the weekend but secured only 20% of the vote.
One of Ntuli’s campaign pledges was to resolve the DA’s disciplinary processes which she viewed as unfair.
She believes that Steenhuisen will address these issues.
“I think once I addressed that issue and really outlined how detrimental it was to the party, even John in his manifesto and the way he was talking, acknowledged that it was a problem. So, I have the utmost faith that it’s going to be something that will be sorted out.”
She said that she would now focus on her role as a public servant.
“I think the future for me is incredibly bright. I am going to continue serving the people of KZN who elected me to be in the legislature and I’m going to be making sure that I am behind the decisions of the party in whichever way we want to make South Africa more prosperous, especially as we go towards next year’s elections.”
Steenhuisen has commended Ntuli for contesting the leadership post, saying that this had strengthened democracy within the party.