The DA’s list of parliamentary candidates is packed with MPs seen as members of party leader John Steenhuisen’s inner circle. Many are placed high in the list's top 20.
DA insiders indicated this week that this was done to ensure that Steenhuisen and his trusted MPs occupy frontline seats in the next parliament. The insiders said this positioned them favourably to be considered for appointment to the cabinet if the blue party forms part of government by coalition or outright majority.
The list was leaked to the Sunday Times this week after being kept under wraps for three weeks. It shows that the DA has nominated at least 14 women in its top 30, eight of whom are in the top 20.
According to the list, controversial former Western Cape MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela is set to be deployed to the National Assembly after securing spot number 55 on the list. With the DA at present having 84 MPs, Madikizela is a shoo-in on the assumption that the party returns to parliament with the same number of votes it got in the 2019 elections.
Madikizela quit as DA Western Cape leader and public works MEC in 2021 after it emerged he had lied about having a BCom degree. Late in 2023 he unsuccessfully attempted to be re-elected as Western Cape leader but was defeated by infrastructure MEC Tertuis Simmers.
The man has paid the price, he’s really earned his place.
— Da member who spoke on condition of anonymity.
DA federal council chair Helen Zille, who led the party’s candidate selection process, said Madikizela was being given a “second chance” because he had paid the price for his troubles and had never deserted the DA.
“We are a party that believes in second chances. If a person has acknowledged an error, shown genuine remorse, paid the price and not opportunistically turned on the party, they are evaluated alongside everyone else on their performance in the selection process,” Zille said.
Two other DA insiders said Madikizela deserved his place on the list because he was considered competent to serve in parliament and had shown loyalty to the party by remaining active within its internal structures.
“The man has paid the price, he’s really earned his place,” said one source, who preferred to remain unknown because party members are not supposed to discuss the list with the media until it is publicly released.
At the top of the list is Steenhuisen, who underwent the selection process even though he was not required to do so by virtue of this position.
“Steenhuisen completed every step of the candidate selection process for incumbents to set an example for provincial and regional leaders to do the same. He was afforded no special concessions,” his office said.
Second is 36-year-old Ashor Sarupen, the party’s deputy national campaigns manager who is also apparently being groomed as one the DA’s future leaders.
Jane Sithole, the party’s provincial leader in Mpumalanga, where she serves as an MPL, is also destined for the National Assembly after securing seventh spot.
Also high up on the list is Solly Malatsi, the party’s national spokesman and it’s second deputy federal chairperson, at number 10.
DA chief whip Siviwe Gwarube is 12th, with her predecessor Natasha Mazzone one below at 13. DA head of policy Mathew Cuthbert comes in at 15 and Leon Schreiber, Steenhuisen’s strategy and communications adviser, is next at 16.
Zille, who slammed the leaking of the list, said “everyone who got an electable place on our list earned it by going through a rigorous process”.
Another insider downplayed the ranking of candidates on the list, saying it had nothing to do with politics or preparing for government.
“Ranking is a result of scoring based on people’s performance during interviews. It has nothing to do with politics. It’s not a primary consideration, per se,” said the source. “The majority of people on the list are national caucus returnees. Most of those not returning are people who have gone to retirement or have joined other parties.”
Another source said the party had managed to retain skills and experience while accommodating new entrants. “At the top there are some good skills. They managed to strike a balance between new entrants and experience.”
The list is due to be released at a press conference in Johannesburg tomorrow where it will be further unpacked by Zille, Steenhuisen, Sarupen and Malatsi.
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