DA lifts expulsion of Kohler Barnard

THE Democratic Alliance has agreed to allow its errant MP Dianne Kohler Barnard to keep her seat in parliament as a member of the party.

The party’s appeal hearing overturned an earlier decision by the DA’s federal executive to expel Kohler Barnard after finding her guilty of bringing the party into disrepute and breaching its social media policy.

In a statement yesterday, the chairwoman of the DA’s federal legal commission (FLC), Glynnis Breytenbach, said the five-member panel of the FLC had decided that the termination of Kohler Barnard’s membership be suspended for the duration of the Fifth Parliament on condition that she:

● Not be found guilty of similar transgressions during the period of suspension;

● Pay a fine of R20 000 to a non-governmental organisation that does work in the field of reconciliation and restitution among persons disadvantaged by the apartheid government before end February 2016; and

● Attends, as a caucus member, a presentation on the safe and responsible use of social media to be presented to the DA caucus;

The appeal stems from a disciplinary hearing in which Kohler Barnard pleaded guilty to bringing the party into disrepute and breaching the social media policy by retweeting a comment praising the government of apartheid prime minister PW Botha.