As supporters of re-elected DA provincial leader Theuns Botha stood up to applaud his victory at the party's provincial congress on Saturday, a large group of DA members remained rooted in their seats.
The contest for DA provincial leadership had taken on racial overtones in the last few weeks of campaigning and the action by former police commissioner Lennit Max's supporters was evidence that the DA's road to electoral victory at next year's municipal elections would not be easy.
Moments earlier, an upset had seemed likely when a party official walked onto the stage to announce the "new" leader of the party in the Western Cape.
But instead of Max's name being called, a sense of deja vu swept through the Walvis Saal in Hartenbos, near Mossel Bay.
Max, the Community Safety MEC, had failed to sway the voters, who chose Botha by a margin of 226 votes.
Of the 990 votes cast, 543 went to Botha and 317 to Max. Cape Town mayor Dan Plato - never considered a serious contender - took 123 votes, while seven votes were spoiled. The three vice chairpersons elected were Dan Plato, Richard Majola and Erik Marais.
Botha, on being announced the winner, reiterated the DA's principal policy of "an open and equal opportunity society".
Making no attempt to mask his attack, Botha lashed his detractors, who had called for delegates to choose a new leader who was not white.
"The continuous obsession with race in this country, driven by the ANC's racial agenda is a real and serious threat ... this racial agenda by the ANC draws us in the DA from time to time into this detrimental debate," he said.
As he spoke, a few delegates walked out, while the majority sat and listened.
"Race in our society in general and race in our party in particular is an alarming threat to our objectives ... our one and only approach to race is to be successful. We only elect one provincial leader, we can't elect everyone," said Botha in a missive squarely aimed at his opponents.
The DA faced the challenge of choosing candidates of "quality" to stand at next year's local government elections.
"Voters must not just buy our message; we'll need to sell it to them," said Botha.
Botha said he was confident that the party would penetrate black communities, showing traditional ANC voters that there was "life and hope beyond the ANC".
Outside the conference hall, city councillor Frank Martin, who lost his bid for DA provincial chairman, could not hide his frustration.
"The challenge for us is to recruit more DA members from traditionally coloured and black areas, not just voters. This is what swayed the contest for Botha," said Martin.
For Martin the DA still remains too white: "We have difficulty recruiting members, they want to know why our top structure is so white, and today is more evidence of that."
Max expressed his "happiness" with the campaign.