With the DA expected to announce its mayoral candidate for Ekurhuleni this weekend, insiders say the likely nomination of Khathutshelo Rasilingwane could prove a surprise choice that may not sit comfortably with all in the party’s ranks.
Until recently, ex-DA MP, current Ekurhuleni councillor and now Gauteng MPL Mike Waters had been widely expected to emerge as the party’s preferred candidate.
Surprise candidate reshapes expectations
His name, multiple sources said, had long been in the mix as a steady and experienced option to lead the metro.
The Citizen spoke to several DA activists and councillors and the response to Rasilingwane’s possible selection was mixed.
One public representative questioned why Waters appeared to have been sidelined, describing him as hands-on and consistent.
Internal dynamics and leadership history come into play
Another senior party member said Waters had been among the few to openly challenge former leader Mmusi Maimane during a turbulent period in the party, while also backing current leader John Steenhuisen’s efforts to stabilise and rebuild support.
“He could have potentially done the same for us in the East,” they said.
Others, however, pointed to a broader strategic calculation. One insider said the DA believed it had made measurable gains in Ekurhuleni, with internal polling placing support at around 42%, up from roughly 29% in the 2021 local government elections.
“We are very confident we can grow that figure and take control of the metro,” they said.
Strategic calculations behind candidate selection
That optimism is not universally shared. Some within the party claimed campaign resources in Gauteng may instead be directed towards securing key victories in Johannesburg and Tshwane, rather than an allout push in Ekurhuleni.
There is also concern that Rasilingwane could face the same internal headwinds that confronted the DA’s 2021 mayoral candidate, Refiloe Nt’sekhe, who stepped aside ahead of the shortlived coalition government led by former mayor Tania Campbell.
Rasilingwane served as MMC for community safety during that period.
Concerns over visibility and caucus unity
For some in the caucus, the bigger issue is visibility. While Rasilingwane has remained active in the Gauteng provincial legislature, several councillors said she is not widely recognised.
“Voters do not know who she is,” one councillor said. “She will have to unify a somewhat divided caucus, but the bigger challenge is with voters. She needs to be more than a face on a poster.”
Rasilingwane currently serves on the cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) and infrastructure development portfolio committees in the provincial legislature, where she focuses on oversight and governance issues.
She holds a bachelor of commerce in marketing management and a postgraduate diploma in business administration.
But, as one first-time councillor put it, “her official biography is about the extent of what we know about her. We’ve never really spoken.”
Divisions persist as decision looms
Others argued her relative distance from the current internal dynamics in the Ekurhuleni caucus may be deliberate.
A senior party figure told The Citizen the DA was not spoilt for choice within the existing Ekurhuleni conference.
“We need someone to lead the campaign who has broader experience outside council and who has not been part of the recent turbulence,” they said.
Another just dismissed Rasilingwane’s candidacy outright and said there were several well-qualified councillors who could do the mayoral job “with their eyes closed”.
Tensions in candidate race
The Citizen previously reported the Ekurhuleni candidate race had devolved into a contest marked by allegations, insults and intimidation.
Following that report, a security company operating in Ekurhuleni rejected claims that a competing candidate had used armed guards to block a ward councillor from accessing parts of their ward, describing the allegation as “nonsense”.
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