Zille takes flak over matric farewell party

A ROWDY mid-week matric farewell party at Western Cape Premier Helen Zille’s official residence which ran into the early hours of the morning has raised the ire of neighbours and the ANC, which has called her to vacate Leeuwenhof Estate.

Western Cape legislature ANC caucus chair Sharon Davis said: “It is an absolute disgrace that Western Cape Premier Helen Zille held a late-night bingeing after-party at a state facility for learners of a posh boy’s school. She has set the worst example ever to teenagers. What an abuse of state property and privilege. No excuse by Zille or anybody else is acceptable. The ANC calls for a full investigation on why this revelry was allowed.”

Zille said yesterday she had allowed her foster grandson, Chulumanco Mputing, who attends Rondebosch Boys’ High School, to host a matric farewell after-party at her home. Zille fostered the boy after his mother, Zille’s former housekeeper, died of cancer at a young age.

“The party this week was the afterparty of the matric class of a young man that I have raised as my own son,” Zille said.

She also said she had written a letter to 80 of her neighbours in which she explained the nature of the party and requested tolerance and patience.

One of her neighbours, Anthony Williams, complained via email to Zille that the party had kept him and other neighbours awake until 4am the next morning.

Williams said he had been kept awake “by the noise emanating from Leeuwenhof grounds, as a result of the Rondebosch Boys’ High matric ball after-party”.

“If it had not been for the intervention of Captain Chippendale who, according to her, was abused and pelted with bottles when she attempted to close down the party, the noise would still be going on,” Williams wrote in his complaint.

Zille said “unfortunately, I slept throughout the ruckus. I can sleep through any circumstances, except a baby crying”. She denied the police had been abused.