Newly elected Democratic Alliance leader Geordin Hill-Lewis says his top priority is to transform the party into South Africa’s leading governing force, capable of winning national power.

Speaking at the party’s 2026 Federal Congress, Hill-Lewis accepted the leadership role with what he called “a deep sense of duty,” pledging to grow the DA into the country’s largest political party and lead a future national government.

He outlined a clear mission: moving the DA beyond opposition and coalition participation to becoming a full governing party. “The question is whether the DA can lead the country… and my answer is yes,” he told delegates.

Hill-Lewis said the party’s path to victory rests on four key pillars: proving it can govern effectively, connecting with more voters, playing a principled role in national government, and promoting belief in South Africa’s future.

He pointed to the DA’s track record in government, including in Cape Town, as evidence that it can deliver services, manage budgets, and improve people’s lives.

The new leader also stressed the importance of expanding support beyond the party’s traditional base, saying trust must be earned “community by community.”

On national governance, Hill-Lewis committed the DA to remaining a strong partner in the Government of National Unity, while opposing policies it believes hinder progress.

He identified crime as South Africa’s most urgent challenge, calling for a major overhaul of policing and a renewed focus on law and order to unlock economic growth.

Looking ahead, Hill-Lewis said upcoming local government elections will be a key stepping stone, with the ultimate goal of winning national power in 2029.

“We are not here to shout from the sidelines,” he said. “We are here to govern, and to build a country that works.”

Read Hill-Lewis’s full speech HERE or watch it below.

The Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) recorded a 10% growth, with more than 94,000 travellers arriving in the city over the 2026 Easter break. 

This is according to the Border Management Authority, as its commissioner, Dr Michael Masiapato, shared the statistics recorded over the long weekend during a briefing on Sunday.  

More than 1.2 million travellers crossed the border into South Africa during that time, a 21% increase compared to the same period last year.  

“About 1 278 344 were recorded across our 71 ports of entry… This upward trend highlights the growing demand for cross-border travel during this period,” said Masiapato.  

The O.R. Tambo International Airport recorded the highest volume of travellers, with roughly 234 389, which Masiapato noted was a 6% increase compared to the same period last year. The Lembobo port of entry (bordering Mozambique) came in second, with about 195 293 travellers. The Beitbridge port of entry (linking to Zimbabwe and the rest of the continent) recorded the third busiest number of arriving travellers, with 148,451 arrivals.  

“Notably, Ficksburg Border Post recorded a sharp 57% increase in traveller volumes, while Maseru Bridge Border Post saw a 31% rise,” read the South African Government News Agency article. 

Masiapato said there has been a steady year-on-year increase in the number of people processed at ports of entry during the mentioned period, having breached a million last year, and now 21% more in 2026.  

Meanwhile, of the tens of thousands that arrived, Masiapato noted that over the 10-day period for the operation, 4,763 travellers were apprehended while trying to enter or exit the country.  

“About 3,170 were undocumented persons, 998 were undesirables, 595 were found to be inadmissible into the country for various reasons,” said Masiapato.  

More than 2 500 fines were issued during the Easter period.

Masiapato further explained that this operation follows on the 2025/2026 Festive Season Operations, which is aimed at reinforcing “long-term operational efficiency”.  

“Importantly, the insights derived from this report will inform the future planning for such peak-periods, enhance stakeholder coordination and cooperation, whilst strengthening the Authority’s overall strategies for the successful implementation of effective, high-impact border movement cycles.” 

The Western Cape has received an additional 50,000 Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine doses, boosting the province’s response to the outbreak.

Over the weekend, Premier Alan Winde and Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism MEC, Dr Ivan Meyer, announced the fresh shipment of vaccines.

Winde says efforts to combat FMD are making strong progress.

“This latest shipment will further bolster our drive to vaccinate the province’s entire herd and is critical in protecting our economy and jobs. I want to thank all our partners who continue to work with us in containing and ultimately eradicating FMD in our province.”

This latest allocation was made possible through the partnership with Dairy Management Consulting.

More than 155, 000 vaccine doses have so far been administered across 629 vaccination sites, with the support of 29 private veterinarians.

Winde says the province will also continue to push to procure its own FMD vaccines, which he says will further streamline and strengthen the response to the outbreak.

While the outbreak remains under control, the Premier stressed the importance of continued vigilance.

“We must remain alert and agile. By working together, we can protect both our provincial herd and our economy.”

Dr Meyer emphasised the importance of strengthened control measures.

“We continue to prioritise the strengthening of systems that monitor and manage animal movement across the province. These controls are one of our most important lines of defence against the further spread of FMD.”

Apart from the assistance of Dairy Management Consulting, the Western Cape Government has also thanked Nova Feeds for paying for the cost of the flight that transported the latest FMD vaccine consignment to the province.

Seven men are expected to appear in different courts on Monday, 13 April, for murders and attempted murders linked to several shooting incidents that occurred in gang hotspots on the Cape Flats in the past week.

This includes the shooting incident that left a young girl seriously wounded in Valhalla Park, Bishop Lavis, on Thursday, 9 April.

The little girl was playing in the road when two rival gangs started chasing each other and firing shots. A stray bullet hit her in the head and is still in a serious condition.

Anti-gang detectives arrested two men on Sunday, 12 April, aged 34 and 38, on charges of attempted murder.

Meanwhile, police also had success in apprehending suspects for the murder of an off-duty SANDF member in Delft on Wednesday.

Western Cape Serious Violent Crime detectives, supported by the Provincial Operational Command Centre combat team, drone unit and crime scene investigation team, arrested five suspects in Delft South and recovered the deceased victim’s firearm, magazine, bank card and cell phone.

Three suspects have been charged with murder and will appear in the Bellville Magistrate’s court on Monday. The motive for the murder is believed to be robbery.

In a separate investigation, a second suspect, aged 31, is expected to appear in court in Mitchells Plain on Monday in connection with a double murder and five attempted murders that occurred at the Hazeldene taxi rank in Portlands on Tuesday afternoon.

Three children were among those wounded.

The first suspect was arrested on Wednesday evening by the Anti-Gang Unit and has since appeared in court on Friday.

The shooting incidents are all believed to be linked to gang violence.

The Cape Crime Crisis Coalition has expressed concern that gang violence in Cape Town appears to have escalated since the deployment of the South African Defence Force in the Western Cape.

It is reported that more than 30 people have been killed in gang-related shootings since the deployment.

Chairperson Llewellyn Macmaster raised concerns that the military presence has not stopped ongoing violence in affected communities. He called for longer-term, community-driven solutions beyond military deployment.