For months, the assumption among DA insiders was clear. If the party wanted a steady, experienced hand to lead its campaign in Ekurhuleni, Mike Waters was the obvious choice. A former MP, current Ekurhuleni councillor, and now Gauteng MPL, Waters had been in the mix for yearsa known quantity with deep roots in the party and the metro.
This weekend, those assumptions may be overturned.
The DA is expected to announce its mayoral candidate for Ekurhuleni, and multiple sources indicate that Khathutshelo Rasilingwane is the likely nominee. Her selection, if confirmed, would be a surpriseone that does not sit comfortably with all in the party’s ranks.
The Man Who Waited
Waters’ name had long been circulated as a potential candidate. Multiple sources described him as a steady and experienced option, someone who could lead the metro with competence and consistency.
One public representative questioned why Waters appeared to have been sidelined, describing him as “hands-on and consistent.” Another senior party member noted that Waters had been among the few to openly challenge former leader Mmusi Maimane during a turbulent period, 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.
The reference to “the East” is significant. Ekurhuleni has been a difficult battleground for the DA. Coalition politics have been unstable. Control of the metro has shifted. A candidate with Waters’ experience and institutional knowledge might have provided the stability the party needs.
The Strategic Calculation
But the DA’s leadership appears to be thinking differently. One insider pointed to internal polling that shows the party making measurable gains in Ekurhuleni, with support estimated 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.
Rasilingwane, in this reading, is not a compromise candidate but a strategic choice. She served as MMC for community safety during the short-lived coalition government led by former mayor Tania Campbell. She has experience in the metro’s executive structures. She knows how the city works.
The Visibility Problem
But knowing how the city works and being known by its voters are different things. Several councillors expressed concern that Rasilingwane is not widely recognized.
“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 and infrastructure development portfolio committees in the Gauteng provincial legislature, where she focuses on oversight and governance issues. Her official biography notes 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.”
The Distance Factor
Some insiders argue that Rasilingwane’s relative distance from the current internal dynamics in the Ekurhuleni caucus may be deliberate. A senior party figure told The Citizen that the DA is 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.
This logic is understandable. The Ekurhuleni caucus has been through turmoil. Allegations, insults, and intimidation have marked the candidate selection process. Bringing in someone who stands above that fray, who has not been consumed by internal battles, could be an advantage.
But another source dismissed Rasilingwane’s candidacy outright, arguing that there are several well-qualified councillors who could do the mayoral job “with their eyes closed.”
The Resource Question
Beyond the candidate herself, questions linger about the DA’s overall strategy in Ekurhuleni. Some within the party claim that campaign resources in Gauteng may instead be directed towards securing key victories in Johannesburg and Tshwane, rather than an all-out push in the East.
If true, that would have implications for any candidate. A mayoral hopeful without adequate resources is a symbol, not a contender. Rasilingwane would need the party’s full backing to overcome her visibility deficit and mount a credible campaign.
The Ghost of 2021
There is also concern that Rasilingwane could face the same internal headwinds that confronted the DA’s 2021 mayoral candidate, Refiloe Nt’sekhe. Nt’sekhe stepped aside ahead of the short-lived coalition government led by Tania Campbell, a move that reflected deeper fractures within the party.
Rasilingwane served in that administration. She knows its dynamics, its tensions, its unresolved conflicts. Whether she can unite a divided caucus remains an open question.
The Decision Looms
This weekend, the DA will announce its choice. If it is Rasilingwane, the party will have to work quickly to introduce her to voters, to build her profile, to make her more than a name on a ballot.
For Waters, the decision would mark the end of a long wait. He has been in the mix for years, seen as a contender, mentioned as a possibility. If passed over, he will have to decide whether to support the chosen candidate or nurse the wounds of rejection.
For the DA, the stakes are high. Ekurhuleni is winnable. The numbers are moving in the right direction. But winning requires a candidate who can connect with voters, unite the caucus, and survive the brutal campaign ahead.
Whether Rasilingwane is that candidatewhether she can overcome the visibility gap, the internal skepticism, the resource constraintswill determine not just her future, but the party’s prospects in one of Gauteng’s most important metros.
