The DA has elected MP and former Youth Leader Luyolo Mphithi as its new Johannesburg regional chairperson, unseating incumbent Wendy Alexander at a closely contested regional elective congress.

The congress, hosted at the Prison Break Market in Glenferness, Johannesburg, on Saturday, brought together nearly 400 delegates tasked with selecting a leadership collective that will spearhead the party’s campaign ahead of the 2026 local government elections.

Mphithi’s victory marks a leadership shift for the party in Johannesburg, with the former DA Youth leader positioning himself as a candidate capable of expanding the party’s footprint beyond traditional strongholds.

Speaking ahead of the vote, he emphasised his experience across diverse constituencies and his focus on growing support in townships and reclaiming lost ground in competitive areas.

“Democrats, as we approach this congress, I think it’s very important to be able to reflect on the experience that I bring to this role. I’ve served in DA strongholds. I’ve served in high-potential growth areas, townships. I’m also committed to ensuring that we regain our vote from the PA and that we ensure that ActionSA never gets votes again in our townships,” he said.

He added that his grassroots experience set him apart from other candidates.

“As you know, I am the only candidate in this congress campaign that serves a constituency in this region. I know what it means to struggle for votes. I know what it means to go out door to door, to meet targets, to deal with the administration that we all have to,” he said.

Mphithi said the party’s electoral path to victory lies in consolidating its base while expanding into new areas.

“Let’s maximize our DA strongholds. Let’s grow in the townships and let’s regain our vote in the swing areas. If we do this well, we will win 50% and cross over the line and have the city of Johannesburg and regain the quality of services back in the city. Let’s win. Let’s bring it home,” he said.

The congress elected a full slate of regional leaders to steer the party’s regional campaign: alongside Mphithi as regional chairperson, Nonhlanhla Sifumba was elected as regional vice chairperson.

Christopher Santana was elected regional chairperson of finance, while Annette Deppe took on the fundraising portfolio and also serves among the regional delegates to the provincial executive committee.

Devon Steenkamp was elected chairperson of membership and “voter relationship management” and is likewise a PEC delegate, alongside Darren Bergman.

Zander Shawe was elected chairperson of training and development, while Hendrik Bodenstein will oversee by-elections.

In addition, Anchen Dreyer and Patrick McGee were elected as non-public representative delegates to the federal council.

Addressing delegates, Johannesburg DA mayoral candidate Helen Zille outlined a series of new campaign strategies designed to secure an outright majority in the city, warning that the stakes for Johannesburg were existential.

“If we mess this up, Joburg won’t survive another five years of what it’s got now. Our research is telling us that we can get over 50%. It’s also telling us that it will take the most tremendous amount of work to get us there. But we’re not scared of work, are we?” she said.

Zille framed the upcoming election as both a “generational duty” and a “generational opportunity”, urging party members to intensify their efforts.

“We can’t enjoy the incredible bounty of South Africa, without putting something back and leaving a country for our children better than the one we were born into,” she said.

DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga welcomed the congress, positioning the party as a credible alternative to the ANC.

“The DA is not perfect, not by a long shot. But one thing about the DA is, we get things done. The choice is going to be simple: you continue to put the thieves in place, or you put a government in place that is accountable,” Msimanga said.

The DA has been sharply critical of Johannesburg’s current administration, citing ongoing service delivery failures, including water shortages and deteriorating infrastructure, as evidence of governance collapse under ANC-led coalitions.

The congress also recognised party activists, councillors and constituency structures with awards for their contributions on the ground.

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The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng wants the provincial government to introduce public performance agreements for the Premier and all MECs, saying this will allow clearer tracking of service delivery targets and strengthen accountability.

DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga made the call while addressing media in Bruma, Johannesburg, on Thursday, at the DA’s “True State of the Province Address”.

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Premier Panyaza Lesufi is expected to deliver his official State of the Province Address (SOPA) on Monday.

 “The DA Gauteng has a plan that can fix this province. Be warned, though, this is not a quick-fix solution but one that will take years of hard work, dedication, and a zero-tolerance approach to corruption, criminal activities, and appointment of councillors, officials, MECs who are only in government to enrich themselves,” Msimanga said.

“We would immediately have all government officials, including the Premier and MECs, sign a performance agreement that will be made public, and that will set out strict guidelines on how and when targets need to be met,” he said.

Msimanga said the DA has an infrastructure master plan to address deteriorating infrastructure across municipalities, which will be backed by public-private partnerships to speed up delivery and reduce pressure on state capacity.

He said that criminal activity in the province, including cable theft and vandalism, were a major strain on service delivery, and Gauteng has lagged in deploying effective technology to combat it.

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He referenced Lesufi’s 2025 SOPA, in which the Premier promised to install “tech logs” as part of efforts to curb cable theft.

“Despite this promise, cable theft continues, leaving areas like the Johannesburg CBD without electricity for weeks, and technicians dispatched to fix the issue are vulnerable to attacks,” Msimanga said.

On health in the province, Msimanga called for investigations into procurement processes at Tembisa Hospital, where the Special Investigating Unit has previously reported extensive corruption of at least R2 billion linked to funds meant for healthcare.

He also accused the provincial government of shielding individuals implicated in alleged financial misconduct, including former Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport head Ronald Swartz, who the DA has opened a criminal case against over the alleged misuse of funds linked to a bus subsidy.

Msimanga also referenced the DA’s prior criminal complaint against former Gauteng Health chief financial officer Lerato Madyo, linked to the alleged corruption at Tembisa Hospital, and said a lack of progress in the matter was “appalling”.

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He said that continued instability and  mismanagement were placing the health system under strain, including in oncology services.

“Thousands of cancer patients in Gauteng have suffered long biopsy delays, causing huge anxiety for patients whose survival chances depend on the outcome,” Msimanga said.

“In addition, doctors are unable to start with urgent treatment when patients don’t receive speedy biopsies. Worse still, the Premier has failed to remove the Gauteng MEC for Health [despite this].”

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