Maimane ‘not black enough’ letter rocks DA

AN explosive letter has surfaced in which DA federal chairman Athol Trollip accuses the party’s Western Cape deputy leader, Bonginkosi Madikizela, of having said Mmusi Maimane was “not black enough because he is married to a white woman”.

Trollip and Madikizela on Friday confirmed the authenticity of the letter — written in May — but added that the issue had been resolved.

Madikizela denied making the remarks and said he was a victim of false rumours.

Trollip refused to comment further about his letter, saying the issue was “internal”.

In the letter, Trollip berates Madikizela for racially based comments he had allegedly made during the party’s elective conference in Port Elizabeth earlier that month. ‘RACIST’ CANVASSING: The DA’s Bonginkosi Madikizela

Trollip’s letter is written under a DA letterhead and copied to various party leadership figures. He begins by thanking Madikizela for his message congratulating him on his election as federal chairman. ’PERSONAL AND INTERNAL’: Athol Trollip, DA federal chair

Madikizela had campaigned against Maimane and Trollip during the elective conference.

Trollip then states: “This message mitigates somewhat some of the utterances that were attributed to you at the congress, but it doesn’t address the seriously problematic and racially stereotypical nature of your canvassing techniques.”

Trollip then claims he was shown an SMS conversation confirming these “techniques”.

“When you say Mmusi Maimane is ‘not black enough because he is married to a white woman’ and ‘that he cannot be surrounded by white people’, you not only go beyond the bounds of your democratic rights, you subvert the provisions of our constitution and those of our party,” said Trollip.

Asked for comment, Trollip confirmed he had written the letter, of which Madikizela, in turn, confirmed receipt.

But Madikizela said the air had since been cleared.

“These were just false rumours. There were no e-mails or WhatsApps like that,” said Madikizela.