Incoming Western Cape premier Alan Winde says he is no Helen Zille.
Winde is expected to be formally elected in as premier on May 22, after the DA retained its position as the front runners in the province. Winde said he took lessons from the last 10 years of Zille’s terms. He was determined to work towards building a government that was more inclusive and even embrace the dissimilarities between himself and his forerunner.
“We are very different people. I will bring the more entrepreneurial, innovative side and I have obviously learnt lots of lessons in government and how to get things to happen."
Tongue-in cheek, he laughed saying “I’ll not to do the tweet stuff."
After a gruelling six months, day-to-day campaigning, the day after the election results were announced, Winde took his wife, Tracy, their daughter Lauren and son Jason, and the family dog on a hike at Newlands Forest.
Speaking to Weekend Argus, Tracy said the entire family was looking forward to supporting their dad and husband through the next challenge in his career.
The family is preparing for their move from their Claremont home to the official residence, Leeuwenhof.
“The move will affect our entire family. I’m not worried about any of us, just my cats but our doggy will love it.
"The home is an asset, so it must benefit organisations and societies,” said Tracy.
Once Winde assumes office, the 54-year-old’s first task will be to appoint a new cabinet of 10 MECs to serve alongside him - a task for which his predecessor was often criticised when she appointed an all-male and predominantly white cabinet.
“I have to make sure we have a new cabinet and that is going to be very tough. You need to keep the experience but you also want new blood,” said Winde.
“I know she (Zille) was criticised. When she was applying her mind she did it with the outcomes she wanted to achieve, and knowing Helen she used some of those criteria, (race, gender) but they were not the overarching criteria... you have to take into consideration where you want to go and who you want to bring with you in building this province and taking it to the next level.”
Winde said he was applying his mind to “make tough choices and hopefully make the right decision”. He was prepared for criticism.
“People can criticise. They can say what they like and we see what happens in a year’s time.”
Political analyst Daniel Silke said choosing a cabinet would be Winde’s first test. “He needs a representative cabinet, a good mix of racial groups. He certainly needs a better gender balance than what we have seen before in the Western Cape,” he said.
“There has always been a critique for the composition of cabinet from the various quarters. This is a difficult time for the DA, it has lost a bit of ground in the Western Cape, they have to perform. The cabinet has to be seen to be in tune with the demands, interests and values of the citizens of the Western Cape.”
Going forward, Winde wanted to ensure he and the cabinet deliver on the election promises and work to earn the trust of all residents.
“It is heartening to hear the premier elect is committed to be a premier for everyone. The electorate and population will want to see a visible difference rather than only hear about intentions,” said UWC analyst Cherrel Africa. Additional reporting by Reuters