DA shouldn’t just reject ‘sex’ e-mail

Revelations all is not well in the higher echelons of the Democratic Alliance, which is headed for elections of a new leader at the weekend, do not bode well for the image of the main opposition party. According to weekend reports an e-mail alleging sexual misconduct involving senior male DA members who are rewarding women with party positions in exchange for sexual favours has been doing the rounds.

DA parliamentary leader Mmusi Maimane’s campaign manager Geordin Hill-Lewis acknowledged the existence of the damning e-mail, but warned federal congress delegates to “reject” it, saying it was “false and destructive”.

We cannot agree with the DA that such an approach would be satisfactory – especially in light of the high levels of abuse of women and the party’s high moral standing. Why is the party quick to dismiss the e-mail as “false and destructive” without thoroughly testing its veracity?

What is more worrying is the author of the anonymous e-mail names five top DA male members as the culprits. She claims her efforts to have the matter dealt with by the party were stalled by “misogyny” in high places.

Even though the damning e-mail is doing the rounds at an inconvenient time, there is no way it can be business as usual in the DA with such serious allegations hanging over the heads of senior members.

While there is no suggestion leading DA candidate Maimane and his opponent party federal chairperson Wilmot James have been accused of any wrongdoing, both candidates have a responsibility to commit themselves to leaving no stone unturned on getting to the bottom of these allegations.

Maimane and James will battle it out to replace outgoing leader Helen Zille in Port Elizabeth at the national conference on Saturday. We urge the party to use the few days ahead of the elections to launch a preliminary investigation – after all these are the same high standards the DA expects of other parties.