Overview
- DA MP Karabo Khakhau exited the race for deputy chair of the federal council after being ruled ineligible for lacking a letter of good financial standing.
- She acknowledges missing a R4,250 tithe in July but says she settled it within 24 hours and has since paid all contributions, insisting she owes the party nothing.
- The Free State provincial executive denied her the good-standing letter and the DA’s federal executive upheld that decision on compliance grounds.
- An insider aligned to the party’s black caucus said the issue is rule enforcement, not race, citing expectations of consistent payments over about a year.
- Supporters argue the rules are enforced unevenly, with references to past leniency for senior figures; a federal legal commission member urged reconsideration, and Khakhau has not said whether she will appeal as the party heads into its federal congress and local election preparations.