MEC denies allegation of racism

Schafer responds to DA accuser

WESTERN Cape MEC for education Debbie Schafer has denied accusations of using racist language at a ward meeting, responding with a counter claim of ill-discipline of her own against her fellow DA accuser.

Schafer, in her capacity as constituency head of Wards 37, 38, 39, 40, and 41 – covering Gugulethu and Nyanga – was accused by the former deputy chairman of Ward 37, Bongani Botha, of using racist language ahead of the ward’s annual general meeting, three weeks ago.

A problem arose when three differing lists of members eligible to vote at the meeting turned up. According to Botha, Schafer said: “I do not like black people like you who are gate-keepers,” when he and other members suggested a postponement of the meeting to resolve the list problem.

Botha said not only were there three different lists, there were 30 members who did not appear on any of the lists. He said members felt the meeting was not procedurally constituted and should be postponed, but Schafer refused. Schafer dismissed Botha’s claims as “blatant lies”.

“He is correct that I said I am tired of people gatekeeping. I also told him that I am tired of his disrespectful and rude attitude. But not once did I mention race. Why would I? I was the only white person there.”

Schafer emailed party provincial managing director HanMarie Marshall-van Zyl calling for Botha to be disciplined.

She wrote: “On the 12th, I had one list, Welekazi (Tywaku) another and then Xola Nofemele arrived with a different list that he was sent the night before. This resulted in some confusion, and so I said we could use both (sic) those lists and if there was anyone on either list they could vote.”

Tywaku is the constituency officer, and Nofemele is the ward’s PR councillor.

But in Shafer’s response to Weekend Argus, she denied any knowledge of three voter lists. “There were not three inconsistent lists,” she said.

Botha said he and other ward leaders were concerned that they had spent a lot of time recruiting new members for the party, but these members were not treated fairly when it was time to elect their leaders. He said the AGM should not have been held because there was no quorum, as members left the hall when they could not find their names on the list.

This was confirmed to Weekend Argus by another ward leader, who preferred to remain anonymous. She said Schafer was not willing to postpone the meeting or to consider the discrepancy in the party lists.

“We told her the meeting had to be postponed because the party was not done capturing voter lists. She would not listen.”

Schafer denied any wrongdoing, saying Botha was a “troublemaker”.

“Bongani Botha has the right to challenge any process through internal DA structures. The fact that he is making public statements and lying about my statements just before a by-election in Ward 37 shows what is really going on here.”

Botha is to attend a disciplinary hearing on Monday.

noloyiso.mtembu@inl.co.za

Debbie Schafer