Patricia de Lille re-elected as GOOD Party leader

GOOD Leader Patricia de Lille was re-elected uncontested for a second term at the party’s inaugural national conference this weekend.

The conference saw the election of a 28-person Leadership Council (LC) which will serve as the party’s highest decision-making body between national conferences.

Brett Herron, secretary-general, was also elected unopposed, with Suzette Little as the deputy secretary-general, Matthew Cook as chairperson and Thabo Pheku as deputy-chairperson.

The election was conducted by an independent agency and was accepted by the delegates at the conference.

GOOD was established weeks before the last general election in 2019 and it was the only woman-led party that contested the election.

It has since contested the 2021 local government elections, and is already represented in the National Executive, National Assembly and the Western Cape Legislature.

In a statement issued by the party shortly after the conference, the party said a rich debate and policy discussions from the conference will feed into GOOD’s foundational policy, adopted at its launch, on social, economic, spatial, and environmental justice.

The new policy positions range from social development, including the adoption of a new Basic Income Grant of R999, to advocacy for LGBTQIA+ rights, both in the country and continentally.

“GOOD will continue to advocate for real justice, real accountability and real inclusivity, and provide an independent and constructive alternative in 2024,” said Janke Tolmay, GOOD media manager.

The 28-person Leadership Council lists as follows:

Leader: Patricia de Lille (Uncontested)

Secretary-General: Brett Herron (Uncontested)

Deputy Secretary-General: Suzette Little

Chairperson: Matthew Cook

Deputy Chairperson: Thabo Pheku

Women representative: Rachel Wapad

Youth representative: Kaden Arguile (Uncontested)

LGBTQIA+ representative: Carlos Mesquita (Uncontested)

Councillors representative: Jonathan Cupido (Uncontested)

Persons with Disabilities representative: Joy Davids (Uncontested)

Sports & Culture: Lulama Benge