DA ends membership of Glenhills PR councillor
KwaDukuza — The Democratic Alliance (DA) has terminated the membership of Rishi Pooran, the proportional-representation councillor for Glenhills in Ward 13, following an internal process that the party says addressed concerns about his conduct and commitment.
The action, confirmed by DA iLembe political head Sakhile Mngadi, removes Pooran as a DA public representative and as a candidate for the local government elections scheduled for 4 November 2026. Mngadi said the decision followed a review of Pooran’s performance over the past year and evidence that was submitted to the party’s federal structures.
According to the DA’s local leadership, the party’s concerns included a pattern of missed organisational and political targets that the party expected of its representatives. Mngadi said those shortfalls were evident in areas such as public engagement, constituency work and campaign activities.
- Failure to hold public meetings;
- Insufficient activity to grow party support;
- Not meeting campaign and constituency responsibilities;
- Alleged campaigning against the DA.
Pooran strongly disputed the DA’s account. He said he was never summoned to a meeting or disciplinary hearing about his performance and that party leadership had not given him an opportunity to engage on any alleged shortcomings. He described his community work as the basis of his mandate.
"At no time was I summoned and told that I was falling short in my work. A true leader would have engaged with me if there was a problem. That never happened," Pooran said. "My work in my community speaks volumes. The party didn’t vote me in, it was the voters who trusted me to represent them."
Relations between Pooran and the DA had already deteriorated earlier this year. On 3 July 2026 Pooran withdrew his application to stand as a DA candidate, citing concerns about impartiality and fairness in the party’s candidate selection process. In a letter at that time he alleged that some aspiring candidates had campaigned against sitting public representatives and that others may have received preferential treatment, which he said eroded trust with constituency leadership.
Mngadi told party members the councillor’s contribution to constituency and party work had effectively stopped after he withdrew his candidacy, despite retaining his council seat. He said the DA in KwaDukuza remained focused on the upcoming local elections and on assembling a team it believes is capable of governing.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 3 July 2026 | Pooran withdrew his application to be a DA candidate and raised concerns about the selection process. |
| 18 September 2026 | DA iLembe confirms termination of Pooran’s DA membership and his removal as a public representative and candidate for the 4 November elections. |
For residents of Glenhills and Ward 13, the practical implications will depend on how the DA and the council address the vacancy on the party list. As a proportional-representation councillor, Pooran’s removal will be handled within the party structures that determine list replacements, rather than by a ward by-election.
The dispute highlights tensions that can arise between party structures and individual councillors in the months preceding local elections. For voters in KwaDukuza, questions about candidate selection, accountability and communication between representatives and their parties are likely to feature in campaign conversations over the coming weeks.
The DA said it remained "strong, united and motivated" in KwaDukuza as it prepares for the local government vote. Pooran maintained he had continued serving residents despite internal challenges and that he had not been given a chance to respond formally to the allegations before his membership was ended.
