DA MP Karabo Khakhau ‘forced’ out of leadership race
· The South African
Democratic Alliance (DA) member of Parliament Karabo Khakhau says she has been forced to withdraw from the race for Deputy Chairperson of the Federal Council.
The DA is set to hold its national federal congress in April, where Khakhau was contesting one of three Deputy Federal Chairperson positions. She was up against fellow MP and Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube, as well as DA caucus leader in Tshwane Cilliers Brink.
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KARABO KHAKHAU DISQUALIFIED FROM DA LEADERSHIP RACE
In a statement released on Saturday, 21 March, Khakhau said she mistakenly missed a tithe payment in July 2025.
However, she maintained that she had paid all her tithes from January to June and continued with payments in August and September.
“On 14 October, a day before payday, the Free State Provincial Director issued me with a letter of demand for the outstanding July tithe of R4 250,” she said.
“I, within 24 hours, paid R8 500 for the outstanding July tithe and my October tithe. I have continued to pay all my monthly tithes to date. I do not owe the DA a cent.”
Khakhau said the DA Free State Provincial Executive Committee decided not to grant her a letter of good financial standing, a decision that was later upheld by the party’s Federal Executive.
“This is despite there being a precedent of leaders who found themselves in similar situations in previous congresses but were allowed to contest fairly in the polls, some of whom went on to become successful incumbents,” she said.
“As a result, I am disqualified from rolling out my vision of building structures and winning the future.”
‘THE RACE WAS PERSONAL’
Addressing her supporters, Khakhau said her campaign was rooted in the values she was raised with.
“Those of faith, hard work, fairness, integrity and respect. These values are central to who I am, and they guide how I engage with my community and my party,” she said.
“It is for this reason that I have always sought to be transparent, accountable and principled in all my actions.”
She added that the race was deeply personal and represented a broader struggle within the party.
“This race was personal for me. It was a deliberate pushback against those who seek to abolish the existence of ancillary structures in our party. As a product of ancillaries, I know first-hand what value they hold,” she said.
“In ancillaries, leadership is cultivated, ideas are born and sharpened, and communities are engaged directly.”
Khakhau said her campaign aimed to reimagine the DA’s politics and reshape its organisational culture.
“Most importantly, I wanted to help redesign how we organise ourselves and mobilise the Republic for success at the polls,” she said.
“I maintain that no party in South Africa will succeed in any election without the successful mobilisation of the majority of the country’s voter base — which is black, young and female.”
In recent years, several prominent black leaders have left the DA, citing internal divisions and leadership issues, including Mbali Ntuli, who resigned after losing the 2020 leadership race and criticising the party’s leadership style.