Two senior DA officials suspended over brawl

THE Democratic Alliance in the Eastern Cape has suspended two senior officials who were allegedly involved in a “scuffle” and referred the matter to the party’s Federal Legal Commission.

MPL and Buffalo City Metro (BCM) constituency leader Sanele Magaqa and BCM councillor Simphiwe Tsala are both charged with assault after a drunken brawl between lovers in Keiskammahoek.

Provincial chairman Andrew Whitfield confirmed to the Daily Dispatch that the two were subsequently suspended by the party.

He said the complaint had already been investigated by the provincial disciplinary committee and the provincial executive committee.

“The decision was taken from an investigation process that started a month ago after a complaint was received by the party. There was a preliminary investigation that got some information from the article that was published today [yesterday] and the PEC then took a decision to suspend the two with immediate effect,” said Whitfield.

Tsala and Magaqa were written letters by the party informing them of the decision to suspend them.

Whitfield said the pair would receive two letters each, one informing them of the suspension, and the second detailing the conditions of their suspensions.

Magaqa will appear in the Keiskammahoek Magistrate’s Court charged with physically attacking Nomkhita Manzini, 31, a DA member from the BCM constituency.

Tsala will appear in connection with beating DA activist Thembela Dyongwana from Sweetwaters, in an incident that allegedly happened during the brawl.

Manzini, also from Sweetwaters, claims she was arguing with Dyongwana, her boyfriend and a friend of Magaqa, when the MPL got involved and the two men beat her up.

The attack happened on the evening of December 29 at Lower Gxulu in Keiskammahoek, where Magaqa was hosting DA party members at his family’s ceremony.

Manzini said her complaints led to charges of assault being laid against her boyfriend and the MPL, while Dyongwana said his complaint led to Tsala being charged with assault.

Tsala, who was also at the party, allegedly got involved in trying to break up the brawling couple by using a pickaxe handle against Dyongwana.

Dyongwana said the blows put him in hospital.