Cape's political minefield
Rowdy debates, rivalry, factionalism and paranoia mar province’s Parliament
IT’S BEEN a turbulent year for the DA and ANC in the Western Cape Legislature, with raucous sittings, political rivalry, factional battles and paranoia coming to the fore as the year draws to a close. Premier Helen Zille, in particular, had a rough time, making history as the first premier since the dawn of democracy to face a motion for impeachment which was tabled by ANC provincial leader Marius Fransman.
The impeachment bid, over the spying saga that erupted in the province, was predictably a failure, with the DA outmanoeuvring the opposition, voting instead to amend the ANC’s motion – so that it endorsed Zille’s outstanding leadership.
Fransman accused Zille of hiring Paul Scheepers, a senior police crime intelligence officer, in his private capacity to spy on the party and her rivals in the DA.
But Zille denied the allegations that she spied on her political foes inside and outside the DA, saying Scheepers’s services were only procured by the provincial government to secure cellphones against spying by anyone.
The year will in all likelihood be remembered as the year when political paranoia set in the provincial legislature, as a furious Zille ripped into her party’s members, accusing them of being the sources of information for the ANC relating to the spy saga.
Trouble started when Zille, in an unprecedented move, named Lennit Max and a former member of her cabinet, Theuns Botha, as Fransman’s sources.
Zille, in her “Inside Government” newsletter, said Fransman let the pair’s names slip during a radio interview and in a sitting of the provincial legislature.
And while Fransman denied saying they gave the ANC information, instead maintaining they were victims of illegal surveillance allegedly instigated by Zille, the premier justified her assertions, saying their names were the only ones mentioned.
In her newsletter, the party said it was not probing Zille but instead was investigating possible disciplinary charges against Max.
With the battle-lines drawn, the MPL’s political future is hanging in the balance, after Zille accused Max of blackmail to get a provincial cabinet post and threatening to walk if his alleged demands were not met.
Zille said she had the full backing of DA leader Mmusi Maimane, and DA federal chairman James Selfe in drawing the line and refusing Max’s demand.
Max responded by laying a disciplinary charge against Zille due to her ongoing public attacks on his integrity and character.
The year had started off on a volatile note, with Zille facing heavy criticism for ringing in the New Year with a controversial cabinet reshuffle, which saw party loyalist (Theuns) Botha, who was Health MEC, being sidelined, and having to switch roles with the MEC of Cultural Affairs and Sport Nomafrench Mbombo, a relative newcomer to the political arena.
The move sparked outrage within the DA ranks, with Botha months later retiring from public office.
In another first for the premier, her muchawaited State of the Province address (Sopa) was disrupted by the ANC, forcing her to read her speech at a media briefing.
The ANC’s Western Cape chief whip Pierre Uys ended up being suspended for two days over the Sopa disruption.
Then came Zille’s explosive decision in April to bow out as DA national leader, ahead of the party’s national leadership race, causing a stir within party ranks with many questioning if she was forced to do so.
Maimane was subsequently elected as the party’s first black leader.
The premier notably scaled down on party political appearances, but zoomed in on ruling the province with a proverbial iron fist. And while Zille may have raised the ire of many during the course of the year, the ANC’s provincial leadership had their own fair share of turmoil.
The ANC started the year painting the Cape black, green and yellow as it celebrated the party’s 103rd birthday anniversary in a packed Cape Town Stadium.
While unity reigned supreme for a while, the infighting soon set in ahead of the party’s crucial provincial elective conference which saw mounting calls for the provincial leadership under Fransman and former provincial secretary, Songezo Mjongile, to be dissolved.
Fransman was also drawn into scandal, having been implicated in a failed “votes for cash” saga involving funds paid for support ahead of last year’s national elections.
Media reports claimed Fransman allegedly promised to pay the Cape District Minstrel Board up to a R1 million if it threw its support behind the ANC.
Brushing off the allegations, Fransman said the claims were aimed at stopping the ANC gaining support in the province.
Back in the legislature, Fransman faced disciplinary action after failing to declare the interests for members of the provincial legislature on time.
The Western Cape Parliament’s conduct committee found him and ANC MPL Trudy Dijana guilty of breaching the code of conduct. The pair eventually won their appeals. Meanwhile, Mjongile was voted out of the leadership ranks, losing to newcomer Faiez Jacobs who now faces disciplinary charges for allegedly hitting a co-worker.
Jacobs has been placed on precautionary leave over the incident at the party’s provincial offices.
ANC members have been divided on the issue, with supporters of Jacobs claiming he is being targeted by rivals.