Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Karabo Khakhau has withdrawn from the party’s race for Deputy Chairperson of the Federal Council, citing a dispute over a missed tithe payment. The DA will hold its federal council leadership elections next month in Johannesburg, with Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis being seen as the frontrunner to succeed party leader John Steenhuisen, who withdrew in February.
In a statement issued to the media on Saturday, Khakhau said she was forced to step aside after the party’s Free State and federal leadership refused to issue her a letter of good financial standing over a missed tithe, which she has since paid in full. According to the Democratic Alliance website, the party’s federal council is responsible for making key decisions on the party’s direction and leadership.
Background to the Dispute
Khakhau explained that she had mistakenly missed a tithe payment in July last year, but had paid all her tithes from January to June and continued to pay her August and September tithes. On the 14th of October, a day before payday, the Free State Provincial Director issued her a letter of demand for the outstanding July tithe of R4,250.
She claimed to have paid R4,500 within 24 hours, covering the outstanding July tithe and her October tithe. Despite having settled the outstanding payment, the DA’s Free State Provincial Executive Committee and the federal leadership upheld their decision not to grant her a letter of good financial standing.
Implications for the Party
Khakhau expressed her disappointment at the decision, stating that she does not owe the DA a cent. She also highlighted that there were precedents of leaders who found themselves in similar situations in previous congresses but were afforded the opportunity to battle it out fairly in the polls.
As a result of her withdrawal, Khakhau will not be able to roll out her vision of building structures and winning the future. She emphasized the importance of ancillary structures in the party, where leadership is cultivated, ideas are born and sharpened, and communities are spoken to directly.
- The DA will hold its federal council leadership elections next month in Johannesburg.
- Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis is seen as the frontrunner to succeed party leader John Steenhuisen.
- Khakhau’s withdrawal is a significant development in the party’s leadership race.
