Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis Seeks DA Leadership

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has announced his candidacy for the leadership of South Africa's Democratic Alliance party. The current leader, John Steenhuisen, will not seek re-election. Hill-Lewis is seen as a strong contender for the leadership position. The election will occur in April.

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has officially entered the race for leadership of the Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa's second-largest political party. His candidacy follows John Steenhuisen's decision not to seek re-election, choosing instead to concentrate on his duties as agriculture minister amid a significant foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.

The DA is a key member of South Africa's coalition government, formed after the African National Congress (ANC) lost its majority. Despite ideological differences between the DA and ANC, the coalition remains stable. Hill-Lewis is regarded as the front-runner in the upcoming leadership contest set for April.

Hill-Lewis believes the DA's coalition participation is strategic, indicating that perpetual opposition would weaken the party. Presently, the DA holds 22% of parliamentary seats, while the ANC maintains 41%. The leadership change might shape the DA's role within the coalition government.

(With inputs from agencies.)