DA drops more than half of eThekwini councillors ahead of November elections
More than half of the DA’s sitting eThekwini councillors have been dropped as ward candidates for the November elections, prompting complaints over a lack of reasons while party leaders defend the selection process.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has announced that more than half of its councillors in eThekwini will not be returning as ward candidates for the upcoming local government elections, leading to widespread dissatisfaction within the party. A DA councillor in Durban expressed frustration, stating that years of hard work, performance tests, and fundraising contributions were disregarded without any explanation.
Several other affected councillors echoed similar sentiments, requesting anonymity due to fears of repercussions from the party. However, DA leader Sithembiso Ngema defended the decision, explaining that councillors serve a five-year term and must reapply to continue their service. Ngema emphasized that the party follows a fair and accountable system, adding that those unhappy with the outcome can appeal to the party's ombudsman.
Despite the backlash, DA eThekwini mayoral candidate Haniff Hoosen maintained that most of the affected councillors would eventually return to serve in other capacities within the councils. With just weeks remaining until the November 4 elections, political parties nationwide are finalizing their candidates and intensifying their campaigns, with eThekwini being one of the most contentious metros due to ongoing service delivery issues.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
