Zille deal puts spotlight on Ntuli

THE DA’s compromise deal on Helen Zille’s colonialism tweets has cast a spotlight on the case involving its former youth leader, Mbali Ntuli.

Ntuli was charged earlier this year for liking a Facebook post that had labelled Zille a racist.

This week the party moved swiftly to extinguish the fires caused by Zille’s defence of the tweets, which had damaged the organisation and threatened its chances in the 2019 elections.

Zille was removed from the party’s decision-making bodies, but was retained as Western Cape premier, to the dismay of the EFF.

DA leader Mmusi Maimane has previously said he would like to see Ntuli’s matter being mediated to avoid the divisions it was causing in the party.

Charged

This was after the party’s top leaders, the federal executive, charged Ntuli despite their independent disciplinary body having found no case against her.

Yesterday, the complainant, acting Western Cape leader Bonginkosi Madikizela, said he was willing to drop the charges if Ntuli apologised for the sake of unity in the party.

“The case was not a personal thing. It is just that if people want to raise issues, they must not do so in public but within the party.

“The intention was never to punish her.”

Madikizela, who is seen as a Zille supporter, said Ntuli was an integral part of the party.

Ntuli’s case lifted the lid on the fissures between Zille and Maimane supporters, who believe Ntuli has become the subject of a witch-hunt.

She was slapped with five charges, including bringing the DA into disrepute, acting in a manner that harmed its image and opposing party policies.

Ntuli was charged despite the Federal Legal Council saying there was no case to answer.

An unrepentant Ntuli yesterday told The Mercury she had nothing to apologise for, adding that she would not seek a similar deal to that of the Western Cape premier.