The Democratic Alliance (DA) is once again in the spotlight amid growing concerns regarding its treatment of black leadership within the party. This scrutiny has intensified following the disqualification of MP and national spokesperson Karabo Khakhau, an incident that has sparked a broader conversation about cultural, structural, and racial tensions that persist within the opposition party.
Analysts caution that the issue extends beyond party rules, reflecting a broader pattern in South African politics where black leaders are subjected to heightened scrutiny within institutional cultures that can feel exclusionary.
Khakhau, who was contesting for deputy chairperson of the Federal Council, said she was forced to withdraw from the race despite maintaining that she is in good financial standing with the party.
“It is with a heavy heart that I write to you to inform you of my forced withdrawal from the deputy chairperson of the Federal Council leadership race,” she said.
She explained that she had mistakenly missed a tithe payment of R4 250 in July last year but settled the matter within 24 hours after receiving a letter of demand in October. She said she subsequently continued paying all her monthly contributions to date.
“I do not owe the DA a cent,” Khakhau said, adding that she was denied a letter of good financial standing despite what she described as a precedent where other leaders in similar situations were allowed to contest.
She said her removal had prevented her from advancing a vision aimed at strengthening party structures and reshaping its organisational culture, particularly through the role of ancillary bodies.
“This race was personal for me… It was a fight for the reimagination of our politics as a party; the reshaping of our organisational culture,” she said.
Khakhau also warned that no political party in South Africa can succeed without mobilising the country’s majority voter base.
“I maintain, there is no party in RSA that will succeed in any election without the successful mobilization of the majority of this country’s voter base. That voter base is black, young and female,” she said.
Political analyst Sandile Swana said the controversy highlights long-standing tensions around the treatment of black leaders, both within the DA and in the broader political landscape.
Swana noted that black leaders in South Africa often enter political spaces already under suspicion, arguing that this dynamic has been reinforced over time across the political spectrum. He added that part of the issue within the DA may stem from a cultural mismatch between the party’s structured, rules-driven environment and the diverse social backgrounds of those who join it.
“There could be that clash of culture,” Swana said, noting that individuals raised in environments where strict timekeeping and rigid systems were not prioritised may struggle to adapt to the DA’s highly regimented organisational culture.
He maintained that while Khakhau may feel aggrieved, the party itself cannot be faulted for enforcing its internal rules.
“In terms of its rules and procedures, the DA is not wrong… You cannot join the party and then govern yourselves in any manner that you see fit. You must adjust yourself to the culture of that party,” he said.
However, political analyst and research fellow at the Middle East Africa Research Institute (MEARI), Kenneth Kgwadi, offered a sharply different view, describing the incident as part of a troubling pattern in the DA.
“This is a tragic reminder of how reputable black leaders have been treated by their white counterparts in the DA without any justification,” Kgwadi said.
He pointed to the exits of former DA leaders Mmusi Maimane and Herman Mashaba, arguing that their departures reflected deeper issues within the party’s leadership culture.
“Until today I have not found any justifiable reason why Mmusi Maimane was booted out of the DA, the same reason employed to Herman Mashaba, who still harbor hatred for the DA as a result of being bullied by Helen Zille,” he said.
Kgwadi further argued that the DA continues to struggle to win over black voters, citing what he described as hostility towards policies such as land reform, labour protections and Black Economic Empowerment.
“They have not really been able to penetrate into black communities… But the principal reason for lack of appeal to black voters has got to be their demeaning racist treatment to black leaders, members, and voters,” he said.
He added that while some black voters remain in the DA due to dissatisfaction with other parties, particularly over corruption and service delivery failures, issues of representation and inclusion remain unresolved.
Kgwadi went further, arguing that racial dynamics within the party remain a fundamental barrier to broader support.
“Kgwadi said perceptions of race and leadership remain deeply contested within the party. It is not racist to state without any fear of contradiction that the white population has not come to acknowledge that blacks are as equally capable of leading as they are, in every aspect of the society,” he said.
He added that corruption within the ANC has unfairly shaped perceptions of black leadership more broadly, while also questioning the DA’s political posture.
“Remember the fundamental reason for the DA joining the GNU? It is to stop a doomsday, which is simply the unification and coalition of black parties. It is implicit that the DA does not trust black people within and outside the DA,” he said.
The DA has said that Khakhau does not meet the requirements to run for the 2026 federal congress.
The Star