Maimane says sorry, sort of
Councillors who quit the DA stand firm
DA LEADER Mmusi Maimane is prepared to meet five former councillors, who demanded an apology from him, in court.
Maimane yesterday edited the post in his Bokamoso newsletter wherein he accused Shaun August and councillors Greg Bernado, Siyabulela Mamkeli, Suzette Little and Thulani van der Stemela of maladministration.
He edited the post for it to be topped with: “Friday’s Bokamoso contained a factual inaccuracy regarding the role of the five former DA councillors in Cape Town, an error for which we apologise. Please find below the corrected version.”
He had originally posted: “For five Cape Town councillors, the DA wasn’t a racist party last month. But now that a credible forensic investigation by a credible legal firm has allegedly implicated them in tender irregularities, the DA is suddenly a racist party.”
He has substituted it with this: “For five Cape Town councilors, the DA wasn’t a racist party last month. But now that they’ve been shown to be the most ardent defenders of maladministration, despite evidence which has now been confirmed by a credible forensic investigation, the DA is suddenly a racist party. These five councilors have resigned, claiming racial victimhood. Can it be coincidence that they have suddenly decided the DA is racist?”
Asked for comment, Graham Charters, the deputy chief of staff in Maimane’s office, could not confirm or deny whether the edit was an apology to the councillors.
“Mr Maimane has issued a correction. He will see them in court,” Charters said
August rejected Maimane’s edit, and said they were liaising with lawyers.
“This is the bullying and victimisation we refer to,” August said.
August, Bernado, Mamkeli, Little and Van der Stemela resigned last week, citing racism in the party.
The councillors told a press briefing on Sunday: “Maimane and the DA have launched a dirty tricks campaign against us. This is surprising, given that they said our leaving the party was of no consequence to them and that they wished us well.
“Clearly, they intend to use the might of their media machine and money to try to destroy us.
“As unemployed former councillors, without an income, we will have to be the brave Davids standing up to the bullying Goliath.”
This, while Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille hinted that tomorrow might not be her final day in office.
De Lille had reached an agreement with the DA to resign as mayor in August, seemingly bringing an end to more than a year of political infighting and mudslinging. The deputy chairperson of the DA’s federal council, Natasha Mazzone, said De Lille’s address confirmed what the party suspected.
“She is doing everything possible to confuse and mislead the public. She is certainly no friend of the truth, and is now throwing mud at an unprecedented rate. She has repeatedly vilified the DA for doing what is right and what is expected from us as an organisation that demands the highest level of accountability, transparency and good governance from those who have been elected to public office, no matter how senior or their personal history.”