DA’s Bhanga, Whitfield nominated for second term

DA provincial leader Nqaba Bhanga and the party’s provincial chair, Andrew Whitfield, are up for re-election after being nominated for a second term ahead of the party’s first virtual congress to be held later in August.

DA provincial spokesperson Mlindi Nhanha made the announcement on Wednesday.

Nhanha said this was a show of faith in the present leadership of the DA in the Eastern Cape.

Nominations closed on Friday.

“The decision by our members to re-elect the incumbent provincial leader and the provincial chairperson is not only an endorsement of their leadership but also a confirmation that the party is in good hands in the Eastern Cape.

“These two young leaders took the reigns in 2017 after a solid foundation had been laid over many years by predecessors Eddie Trent and Athol Trollip,” Nhanha said.

Bhanga is the DA’s chief whip in the Nelson Mandela Bay council while Whitfield is a MP.

Nhanha said the party was poised to make history on August 29 by holding the first-ever virtual political congress in the country.

“The re-election of the provincial leader and provincial chairperson will be confirmed at the congress, but the elections of two deputy provincial leaders and three deputy provincial chairpersons will also take place,” he said.

Bobby Stevenson, Terence Fritz, Chantel King and Dharmesh Dhaya have been nominated for the position of deputy provincial leader.

Up for deputy provincial chair are Marshall von Buchenroder, Yusuf Cassim, Vicky Knoetze and Wonga Potwana.