By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Karabo Khakhau, who serves as a national spokesperson, says she was “forced” to withdraw from contesting the position of deputy chairperson of the Democratic Alliance (DA) Federal Council.
Khakhau’s withdrawal from next month’s federal congress, centers around a dispute of a R4,250 monthly tithe payment that the party claims remains outstanding.
She released a statement on social media on Saturday, alleging that the party forced her to withdraw from the race for deputy chairperson of the federal council.
She said her disqualification is linked to claims that she owed “tithes” to the organisation.
Khakhau added that despite having settled the outstanding payment, the DA’s Free State Provincial Executive Committee and the federal leadership upheld their decision.
The party maintains that its internal processes are standard and that Khakhau failed to meet the specific requirements necessary to stand as a candidate.
Khakhau, who had positioned her campaign around the modernization of party organization and outreach, warned that the party’s future electoral success remains tied to its ability to retain support among young, black female voters.
Her withdrawal leaves the race to Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation Sello Seitlholo, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Annelie Lotriet, and Western Cape provincial parliament member Thomas Walters.
The congress, to be held on the weekend of 11 and 12 April, will not only elect leaders, but will also vote on resolutions and amendments.
The incumbent party leader, John Steenhuisen, and the chair of the Federal Council, Helen Zille, will not be running for re-election.
So far, only Cape Town mayor and DA Western Cape deputy leader Geordin Hill-Lewis has put his hand up for the role of the Federal leader.
Hill-Lewis announced his candidacy once nominations opened. At an event in Elsies River, he said the leadership race was an “opportunity for our party to renew itself again”.
As for the Federal Chairperson, there are two candidates – the incumbent, Dr Ivan Meyer, and Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga.
The new candidates who have put their names forward for the Deputy Federal Chairperson, which include Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube and Tshwane mayoral candidate and former MP Cilliers Brink. Western Cape MEC for Community Safety and Policing Oversight Anroux Marais has also thrown her hat in the ring.
DA congress spokesperson Nazley Sharif said: “It is very exciting that positions within the DA leadership are being highly contested. It shows that democracy and internal contestation is healthy in the DA, this is how democracy works.”
Sharif explained the process. “The nominations for DA members to contest is open and will close at 11.59am on 23 March 2026.”
“Once this is done, nominations received will be interrogated and vetted by the Federal Compliance Department of the DA, in consultation with the presiding officers of the Federal Congress and Federal Council elections.”
Once the process is concluded, the nominations will be published.
During the 2024 elections, the party garnered 6,961,361 votes or 21.81%, largely from voters in Western Cape, Northern Cape and Gauteng. If the party wants to control the government outright in 2029, it would need to not only defend its current voter base, but also increase support across the country.