The new leader of South Africa's second-largest party, the Democratic Alliance, said on Monday he would reestablish it beyond its white-voter base, betting that the country's once stark racial divide is narrowing.
Geordie Hill-Lewis was elected head of the centre-right DA at the weekend ahead of local elections expected in less than a year.
He replaces John Steenhuisen, who announced in February that he would not run for a third term as party leader.
Cape Town's mayor told reporters the pro-business party would try to take advantage of growing public frustration with political dysfunction and failing services.
He said, “I really want the party to focus on communicating and most importantly demonstrating that we genuinely care about the advancement of every South African, regardless of the circumstances of their birth.”
“For a long time, the racial silos in South Africa have been very firm and solid but they are breaking down and breaking down,” he said, adding that voters are gravitating towards those who deliver results.
Hill-Lewis warned that achieving widespread support would be difficult.
He said, “It's not about overnight success. It's about keeping one foot planted in front of the other in the right direction.”
South Africa is currently led by a 10-party coalition including the DA, after the largest party, the African National Congress (ANC), lost its 30-year majority in the 2024 national elections.
The DA holds six cabinet posts, while the ANC holds 20, which is accused of widespread corruption, mismanagement and nepotism.
Formed in 2000 as a merger of three mostly white parties, the DA, which runs a liberal, free-market agenda, has struggled to shed its white, middle-class identity and win over black voters.
In the 2019 elections, when it was led by a black person, it got about 20 percent of the votes.
In the 2024 elections, it improved its performance by 22 percent and a recent survey conducted by market researcher Ipsos showed similar levels of support ahead of local government elections to be held between November and January.
Hill-Lewis said the party would not drop its opposition on controversial issues such as black economic empowerment, national health insurance and social grants – which are long-running issues in South African politics.
With unemployment hovering around 31 percent, millions depend on welfare, while empowerment laws aim to redress deep inequalities inherited from apartheid.
Hill-Lewis said, “This is the first hurdle we have to overcome. We have to make it clear to black South Africans that we are genuinely invested in them and care about their advancement, but we do not support the current model of elite enrichment.”
White South Africans make up just over seven percent of the country's 63 million population.
Hill-Lewis, 39, became mayor of tourist-magnet Cape Town in 2021, which is seen as one of the better managed municipalities in the country.
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