DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille has swiftly moved to allay concerns expressed by federal leader hopeful Mbali Ntuli that a virtual leadership conference would not be free, fair or credible.
Zille, in a letter to public representatives of the party, which News24 has seen, sought to clear some of the confusion over the decision taken by the party's federal executive (Fedex) to hold its much-anticipated leadership congress via a virtual platform.
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In her letter, Zille says the Fedex meeting did not approve of the entire conference being held via virtual platforms, but had felt a leader was required to lead the DA into the 2021 local government elections.
More than 2 000 DA delegates are expected to vote for a new federal leader to replace Mmusi Maimane, who resigned in 2019 following a difficult year for the party, which included a decline in support at the national polls.
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Zille said the organisation was working to ensure candidates had equal access to those contesting leadership positions in the party.
