Speculation rises over imminent Maimane exit
• DA leader could resign at federal executive meeting, which will be the first one chaired by Zille
Embattled Mmusi Maimane went to ground on Tuesday as speculation swirled that he will resign as leader of the DA as soon as this week.
The DA has taken blows since the general election in May, in which the party lost support for the first time, with Maimane’s leadership increasingly under scrutiny.
That intensified as Maimane stood beside Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba on Monday as the latter announced his resignation and launched a blistering attack on the party and new chair of the federal executive council, Helen Zille.
Two senior party members told Business Day on Tuesday the leader had called in sick after his appearance with Mashaba.
He was also not in parliament on Tuesday for deputy president David Mabuza’s appearance to answer questions at the National Assembly, prompting political opponents to ask about his whereabouts.
Maimane’s spokesperson, Azola Mboniswa, said speculation the DA leader would step down was “just a rumour” and that he “continues to lead”.
The DA, which has for years showcased its successes in governing the Western Cape as a springboard to becoming an alternative to the ANC nationally, lost support in May to the left and the right, leading to an escalation in factional battles.
EMERGENCY MEETING
A report compiled by a review panel in the wake of the elections recommended that James Selfe, Paul Boughey and Maimane all stand down.
Selfe resigned as chair of the federal council and Boughey as the party’s CEO.
An emergency federal executive meeting, called after Mashaba’s resignation, is due to be held on Wednesday.
Maimane could resign at the meeting, which will be the first one chaired by Zille, whom he replaced as leader in 2015.
Zille’s election at the weekend was seen as a blow to Maimane, as Athol Trollip, who defended Maimane after the dismal election results, was said to be his preferred candidate and
was also backed by the leader’s allies for the job. Maimane’s attendance at Mashaba’s briefing on Monday was seen as an endorsement of the Johannesburg mayor’s views on the DA, which some senior members called ill-disciplined and showing a lack of leadership.
Mashaba said his resignation would come into effect on November 27, at the request of the party leadership.
Some officials may use Wednesday’s federal executive meeting to argue that Mashaba should step aside immediately, in line with the party’s constitution. The DA’s constitution states that if a member publicly declares his or her resignation or announces their intention to leave, their membership ceases.
This was the case when former Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille had her membership stripped after she said on 702 radio she would resign once she had refuted allegations against her. The final review panel report — compiled by former party leader Tony Leon, former CEO Ryan Coetzee and Capitec founder Michiel le Roux — recommended that the DA go to an early congress in 2020 as opposed to the original 2021, during which new leaders would be elected.
The report said that the “single most important factor in shaping the DA’s current circumstances is a failure of effective leadership”.
In its findings on leadership, it said there was “significant and widespread” concern expressed in submissions and during discussions regarding the effectiveness of Maimane and the wider federal leadership.
“The overwhelming view of those who made submissions or with whom we held discussions is that the party leader, while immensely talented, committed to the cause, hardworking and widely liked, can be indecisive, inconsistent and conflict averse,” the panel said.
This in turn led to, among other things, a lack of clarity about the party’s vision and direction, confusion about the DA’s position on key issues, the erosion of a unity of purpose, deep divisions in the national caucus and a breakdown in trust between the leader and some of the party’s structures, the report said.
It also noted that the relationship between Maimane and Selfe, as federal council chair, had became “dysfunctional” and was characterised by a lack of trust and failure to communicate effectively.
DA HEAD GOES TO GROUND AFTER HIS APPEARANCE WITH EXITING JOHANNESBURG MAYOR ON MONDAY