DA bets on Rasilingwane to break into township vote

Her selection as mayoral candidate is highly strategic

- By Bongani Mdakane

The DA is banking on its newly announced mayoral candidate Khathutshelo Rasilingwane to help the party make inroads into township constituencies in Ekurhuleni, as it positions itself to challenge longstanding voting patterns ahead of the November local government elections.

Her selection, announced by Gauteng DA leader Solly Msimanga on Friday, comes amid internal acknowledgement that the party has struggled to identify a suitable candidate from within its own ranks.

According to insiders, the process exposed gaps in the party's local leadership pipeline, with the DA at one point considering candidates from outside its structures. Rasilingwane ultimately emerged from a field of five applicants after what the party described as a 'formal selection process', where she pipped DA heavyweight and perceived favourite Mike Waters. Her selection is also seen as strategic given her links to Tembisa, one of Ekurhuleni's largest townships and the political backyard of Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, where electoral battles are expected to be fiercest.