DA parliamentary leader John Steenhuisen is a firm favourite to be elected party leader today by the federal council.
Even some allies of his main challenger, Makashule Gana, concede that Steenhuisen will replace Mmusi Maimane.
About 160 members of the DA federal council will elect an interim leader and an interim federal chair after the resignation of Maimane and Athol Trollip in protest at the election of Helen Zille as chair of the federal council.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Steenhuisen played down his prospects.
"I think that my chances are fair, but I never take anything for granted. So I will be campaigning up until the very last moment to set out our vision and offer," he said.
Gana would not concede defeat yesterday, saying his campaign had achieved what it had set out to.
"When we started the campaign, we set out to achieve a certain aspect and we have achieved it . getting the party, getting the public to talk about the issues of economic justice and the need for us to deal with the issues of inequality [and] to redress the injustices of our past. Whatever happens, we continue . until the policy conference," he said.
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