Can Geordin Hill-Lewis run Cape Town and the DA at the same time?

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis. Picture: Twitter / @geordinhl Questions are being raised about Geordin Hill-Lewis’ ability to lead the City of Cape Town and the DA at the same time, should he emerge as the new leader of the party after its elective conference. The party will go to their federal elective conference in a few weeks, and Hill-Lewis has been named as one of the possible contenders for the role of party leader.

He has not confirmed whether he will be contesting, but indicated that he wants to stand for a second term as the mayor of Cape Town in the upcoming local government elections. “After John Steenhuisen’s announcement yesterday, I have been approached by many party members to stand for the position of Federal Leader. “The DA’s internal campaign rules stipulate that public campaigning may only begin when the nomination period opens.

That will happen later this month, which is when I will announce my intentions. “Whatever is decided, I will remain committed to stand for a second term as the Mayor of Cape Town. It is the DA’s biggest government and our strongest platform as we head into the local elections,” said Hill-Lewis.

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University of the Free State political analyst Theo Neethling believes that Hill-Lewis could lead the DA from Cape Town, but this would require support from his party. “This would inevitably place increased pressure on him. However, such a dual role is feasible provided that he has a strong and effective support structure within the City of Cape Town that can carry much of the operational burden.

“It is also worth recalling thatHelen Zille served as Executive Mayor of Cape Townwhen she was elected leader of the DA, and later went on to become Premier of the Western Cape—a role she fulfilled with considerable success,” said Neethling. Andre Duvenhage, a political analyst from the North West University (NWU) agrees with Neethling.

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