GEORGE NEWS & VIDEO - The two DA leadership candidates who will lock horns tonight during a live television debate about their vision for the party, made a pit stop in George this morning.

Mmusi Maimane (34), DA leader in Parliament, and Wilmot James (61), DA MP and federal chairman, were in town to address 62 DA delegates from the East Region (Eden District, Central Karoo and Overberg) who will attend the DA congress in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.

These delegates, together with 1 000 more from across the country, will cast their vote for their new leader of choice at the congress on Sunday.

Members of the local press had a chance to pose a few questions to Maimane and James before they started their meeting in George.

When asked about the recent e-mails that have been doing the rounds about an alleged sex ring within the DA - also implicating Maimane - both men vehemently stated that the e-mails are devoid of any truth. "It is malicious, vicious with no merit of truth," said Maimane. "We will get to the bottom of this and find out who started it - find out if it is someone within the DA." James said these allegations "greatly harmed the party and both our campaigns".