DA councillor Abdulkader “AK” Elyas has been placed fourth on the party’s proportional representation candidate list for the City of Cape Town, despite previously admitting to providing false information about his qualifications.
His position puts him behind Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, JP Smith and Xanthea Limberg on the DA’s list for the 2026 local government elections.
Cape Town has 231 council seats, including 115 proportional representation seats. Candidates occupying those seats are drawn from party lists according to the number of PR seats a party wins.
Elyas admitted false qualification claims
Questions about Elyas’ qualifications emerged publicly in 2023.
His LinkedIn profile had listed studies towards a Bachelor of Business Science in actuarial science and a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at the University of Cape Town.
UCT later said its records showed he had not completed either qualification.
The Health Professions Council of South Africa also confirmed that Elyas had been registered as a medical student, but had not progressed to registration as a qualified medical practitioner.
A DA disciplinary agreement signed in September 2024 recorded that Elyas pleaded guilty to five charges involving false or inaccurate information about his qualifications.
The charges related to several DA selection processes dating back to 2019.
DA disciplinary agreement imposed sanctions
The agreement found that Elyas had supplied inaccurate qualification information in applications and his CV.
It described the conduct as dishonest and a material violation of standards expected from DA members and public representatives.
The agreement stated that his DA membership would be terminated, but that the termination would be suspended for the remainder of his term as a public representative or until the 2026 local government elections, whichever came later, subject to conditions.
It also barred him from standing for party or public office during the sanction period and required him to undergo a psychological assessment and complete an ethics course.
Fourth-place ranking draws criticism
The DA has since included Elyas at number four on its Cape Town PR list.
DA spokesperson Jan de Villiers said candidate lists are handled by the federal candidate election committee before being collectively signed off by the federal executive.
Party insiders quoted by News24 expressed concern over Elyas’ high ranking, while ActionSA and GOOD also criticised the decision.
The DA has said internal disciplinary proceedings are confidential.