The Democratic Alliance (DA) has elected a new leadership team in Johannesburg.

On Sunday, the party announced the results of its Johannesburg regional conference, with Luyolo Mphithi, a member of parliament, being elected the regional chair. Nonhlanhla Sifumba, a councillor in the city, was elected Mphithi’s deputy.

The Johannesburg regional conference was held ahead of the party’s national congress next month, where it is due to elect a new federal leader, after the decision of John Steenhuisen, the current head of the party, to not seek another term.

However, some eyebrows will be raised at the election of Mphithi.

In 2019 Mphithi had been at the forefront of the DA’s reaction to an alleged incident of racism at a primary school in Schweizer-Reneke, in North West. A photo of a classroom where black and white children appeared to be segregated went viral, sparking claims of racism, and which saw the teacher whose classroom it had been, Elena Barkhuizen, being suspended.

At the time Mphithi said, “It is outrageous that a classroom in 2019 can be racially segregated, which will only serve to teach young children from day one to see each other as different and separate. This is unconscionable.”

It subsequently turned out that the children had not been segregated by race and changed seats throughout the day, with white and black children mingling. In addition, an investigation by the South African Human Rights Commission said Barkhuizen had been “wrongly” accused of racism.

The Common Sense asked Johannesburg Mayoral candidate for the DA, Helen Zille for comment on Mphithi's election to which she replied, "As I said at the time, Mphithi was not the one who conceptualised the Schweizer-Reneke disaster. He was sent on that mission by the party leadership at that time, including the Federal Leader and the then campaign manager, Jonathan Moakes. Luyolo was the leader of the Party's youth ancillary and he implemented the strategy devised higher up the line. It is wrong, and petty, to now drag this up and use it against him. Times change, people move on, and learn their lessons."