Note to Editors: Please find attached a soundbite by Yusuf Cassim MPL
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Eastern Cape has welcomed several members of the Patriotic Alliance (PA) and Action SA in Nelson Mandela Bay to the party.
Today, I was joined by DA NMB Mayoral Candidate, Retief Odendaal MPL, DA Winterhoek Constituency Leader, Horatio Hendricks MPL, and DA EC Provincial Spokesperson, Cllr Georgina Faldtman, in Kariega to announce our new members.
The new members from the PA include former councillor candidate for the 2026 Local Government Elections and well-known Kariega community activist, Kayzel Forbes, and several Action SA activists in Kariega and KwaNobuhle led by community leader Thandaswa Cholani.
[see pictures here, here and here]
This follows after we last month welcomed former Action SA Nelson Mandela Bay Regional Chairperson, Sherwin Nel, former Action SA Provincial Spokesperson, Luzuko Gedze, and Action SA Kariega Sub-Regional Chairperson, Sinclair Baatjies.
Our newest members believe that uniting behind a growing DA is the only way to get Nelson Mandela Bay working again.
They recognise the DA’s strong track record of excellent service delivery where we govern, and our proven ability to deliver meaningful change for all.
The DA is a growing party rooted in strong internal democratic processes where new leadership is elected every three years at Provincial Congress. South Africans, and former members of populist parties, such as the PA and Action SA who are led by self-appointed leaders who cling to absolute power, value democracy above all.
Our new members understand that the only way forward is for the people of Nelson Mandela Bay to unite behind the DA’s banner of good governance. By doing so, we can remove the ANC and its smaller proxy parties from government and usher in a new era of accountability and delivery.
Under the DA banner, we are confident that we can win the Metro in 2026 and restore effective governance and excellent service delivery to get Nelson Mandela Bay working again.
The DA in the Eastern Cape will continue to serve as a political home for members of other parties who share our values and principles, and we will gladly welcome them into our ranks.