In poll position: Geordin Hill-Lewis annoucing his candidacy to be the next Federal Leader of the Democratic Alliance. Photo: DA
Senior leaders in the Democratic Alliance (DA) are scrambling to secure internal positions ahead of next month’s federal congress amid growing fears that a leadership shift could see them removed from key roles in both government and party structures.
The contest has intensified as support consolidates around Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, with senior leaders privately expressing concern that a new leadership team could trigger changes to parliamentary positions and the party’s deployments within the government of national unity (GNU).
Within the GNU arrangement, parties retain influence over who they nominate to serve as ministers and deputy ministers. While appointments are made by the president, parties are able to submit and revise their lists of deployees, meaning leadership changes within a party can directly affect who occupies executive roles.
This has placed additional pressure on internal contests, as those currently serving in government face uncertainty over whether they will be retained under a new leadership configuration.
Multiple positions across the party’s federal structures including federal chairperson, deputy federal chairperson and roles within the federal council are now being contested, with internal campaigning intensifying across provinces as candidates engage delegates ahead of the vote.
At the same time, the contest has drawn in a parallel dispute over nominations, with internal processes becoming a focal point of contestation over representation and access to leadership positions.
Members across several provinces said black leaders had to push for their inclusion on nomination lists during internal processes, raising concerns about how candidates were selected ahead of the congress.
Nomination lists are compiled through internal provincial processes before being submitted to federal structures, where they are finalised ahead of the congress.
Members involved in these processes said disagreements emerged at multiple stages, including over which names were initially proposed, how they were filtered and which candidates ultimately appeared on final lists presented to delegates.
In some instances, names were contested during deliberations and reintroduced following objections from provincial structures.
These tensions have focused on the exclusion of Karabo Khakhau from a key leadership list over alleged financial misconduct involving missing payments due to the party.
The DA said the decision was based on internal compliance processes. Party spokesperson Desiree van der Walt said Khakhau’s omission was due to “compliance shortcomings” and that the matter had been handled through party structures.
Within internal discussions, the issue has been raised alongside broader concerns about representation at senior levels. “The system is rigged, so what happens is that if your provincial leadership doesn’t like you, usually because of your skin colour, then you won’t make it to leadership, which is what we saw with Karabo,” one DA leader explained.
Members referenced the past departures of black leaders, including Herman Mashaba, Mmusi Maimane, Mbali Ntuli and John Moodey, as context for these ongoing nomination debates.
Alongside the nomination disputes, the leadership race itself has begun to take shape.
Hill-Lewis has emerged as a leading contender for the federal leader position, with his candidacy gaining traction within party structures. Sibusiso Dyonase has entered the race, positioning himself as an alternative within the contest and seeking support among delegates who are not aligned to dominant blocs within the party.
A senior leader in the DA told the Mail & Guardian that ministers and deputy ministers are desperate to remain in the GNU because they want to retain their positions: “People are very desperate for GNU jobs. At the time of the budget vote, when we nearly exited the GNU, people were in tears – and I’m talking about ministers and deputies.”
“People were angry. They were attacking John [Steenhuisen] left, right and centre, asking how he could say we must walk away. They said this is now their new life. They are too comfortable with the perks and everything – it is a nice-to-have – and that is why you see the positions being so hotly contested.”
According to the source, it is the first time that the positions of federal chairperson and deputy chairperson of the federal council are being contested in this way. At least 13 people are vying for the deputy chairperson of the federal council, while seven are eyeing the deputy federal chairperson seat.
“You see, for the first time, those positions are hotly contested. People just want to occupy senior positions in the party’s structures so they can raise their profile, stay in the GNU and enjoy the perks.”
The source said people in the party are anxious about a potential takeover by Hill-Lewis, as they are unsure whether he would keep them as ministers and deputy ministers: “People are very uneasy about what is going to happen to them because a new person is coming and is going to change everything. Yes, we can stay in the GNU but are you his choice for cabinet? Are you who he wants in those positions?
“He is entitled to say to the president [Cyril Ramaphosa], ‘I’m withdrawing five people and replacing them.’ So, people are panicking and falling over themselves — it’s just a mess.
“People are uneasy, and that is what is causing the disunity. They don’t know what to expect. Geordin has a very big smile but behind it there is a lot and people are uneasy about the changes.”
Another DA source said that parliamentary leader is another position party members are already lobbying for.
In a leaked message after party leader Steenhuisen announced he would not make himself available for contest, Hill-Lewis told his caucus in Cape Town that, whatever he decided to do – if he did stand as leader – he intended to remain mayor. This would mean that the party’s parliamentary leader position would be open.
“With the new person saying he is not going to leave his position in the City of Cape Town and will stay on as mayor, the party is likely to have a new parliamentary leader. That has already caused some ructions and everyone now wants to contest that position.
“Should Geordin stay in the City of Cape Town as mayor, the party will have to appoint a parliamentary leader and people are already vying for it — the current chief whip, head of policy Mat Cuthbert, Glynnis Breytenbach and a few others. People are already campaigning behind the scenes to become parliamentary leader.”
The M&G also understands that current Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga, who is contesting for federal chairperson, would have preferred to run for federal leader but has since changed his mind.
The DA source said Msimanga was put off by the show of support from federal council chairperson Helen Zille, who publicly endorsed Hill-Lewis for the federal leader position.
“The issue around Solly is very painful,” the source said. “When John stepped away, he never publicly endorsed Geordin. Then the old lady, who is very close to Geordin, knew Msimanga wanted to contest against him and wanted the position to be uncontested.
“She deliberately went on an interview and publicly said she believes Geordin is the best person for the job. Now where does that leave Msimanga? He has been in the party for years and he knows the trend – when someone says something like that, people follow and take it as the gospel truth.”
Msimanga denied the allegations and said he expected these stories to appear at this time “as part of conference campaigning”.
A leaked internal report compiled by former federal finance chair Dion George has been circulating among party members, detailing additional payments made to senior leaders on top of their public salaries.
The document has been shared in internal meetings, messaging groups and one-on-one engagements with delegates ahead of the congress, forming part of discussions taking place during campaign outreach across provinces.
According to party insiders, the report has been referenced in conversations about leadership accountability, with some members raising it in engagements over who should occupy senior positions within the party.
“The question we have is [if] Khakhau was barred from entering the race, every member mentioned in that report must not contest,” a senior DA leader said.
While party officials have not issued a detailed public response to the contents of the report, federal council chairperson Jan de Villiers said the party would not comment on the document. “We will not comment on the document at this stage,” he said
Its circulation comes as candidates intensify campaigning ahead of the federal congress, where delegates will vote on the party’s leadership across its federal executive and federal council structures.
The outcome of the congress will not only determine the party’s internal leadership but also its parliamentary leadership and its deployment within the GNU.
Responding to questions from the M&G, Khakhau said the party would discuss these matters at the next FedEx council: “We cannot be talking about what is going to happen in congress before the new leaders are elected, we also cannot be discussing matters before they have been discussed by FedEx. I suggest we wait for next month. So, there is no need to have a post mortem of living bodies.”
Khakhau said the party would check the validity of the report before commenting further, as it contains the signature of George, who is a “disgruntled [former] member”.
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