Battle for control of DA

● At least seven prominent DA figures face either disciplinary charges or are under investigation in what insiders say is part of a battle for the control of the party.

This comes ahead of the official opposition’s congress next month.

The Sunday Times can reveal that several DA leaders, among them MP Phumzile van Damme and Gauteng MPL Makashule Gana, have been charged with bringing the party into disrepute.

KwaZulu-Natal DA leader Zwakele Mncwango was also investigated by the DA’s federal legal commission for inviting former leader Mmusi Maimane to the state of the province address in KZN in March.

Most of the leaders charged are black, were allies of Maimane and do not support interim leader John Steenhuisen.

The DA yesterday adopted a “values and principles” document that rejects the notion of race. It is expected to inform the policies the party will adopt at the weekend’s policy conference.

“Nonracialism is the rejection of race as a way to categorise and treat people, particularly in legislation. The assumption that one’s ‘race’ represents people who think, feel, or have the same experience of shared events, based on their physical appearance, is false,” reads the document.

“However, while there is a scientific consensus that ‘race’ itself does not exist — racialism and racism do exist and have a

profound and damaging impact on the lives of individuals and society. They are abhorrent and detestable.”

Party insiders said this indicated that the party would not drive policies that seek to redress the injustices of apartheid. Some who spoke to the Sunday Times suggested that the commission was being used to fight political battles. They said it was to push out those who do not support Steenhuisen or opposed the new policy direction.

One singled out John Moodey, who had led the DA in Gauteng and who resigned from the party this week.

“Almost everyone who is standing for a position, or who they think will stand for a position, is being charged,” said the insider.

He said some of the complaints, like the one against Mncwango, were frivolous.

“The intention is to intimidate people into supporting John Steenhuisen. But the reality is that they no longer need some of us so they want to force us out,” said another insider.

“The new [policy] approach is to deny the existence of race and that is what we have been fighting against. That’s why we are being forced out,” said a leader.

“We asked, how can you redress what happened in the past without looking at race? And they said, you can’t redress wrong with another wrong.

“The tone of the meeting [yesterday] is about the need to clean the party. That is why we are being charged.”

The charges and investigations appear in documents of the commission and emerged as another leadership battle began after the resignation of Moodey, who said he did not agree with the party’s direction.

Moodey was running a campaign to challenge Steenhuisen next month. His resignation leaves DA KZN MPL Mbali Ntuli as Steenhuisen’s only challenger.

Steenhuisen said Moodey resigned to avoid charges against him, including conspiring to implicate an MP in a “sex-for-jobs scandal”.

Mncwango, who backed Maimane and Athol Trollip in a DA leadership battle last year, was investigated for a possible breach of the party’s constitution by having Maimane as his guest despite rules of parliament and provincial legislatures allowing MPs to take guests to official openings. The commission has dismissed the complaint.

In the documents, Mncwango said there was nothing wrong in inviting Maimane because it was not a party political event. He said there was a similar fracas when he invited former DA member Patricia de Lille to his wedding.

The documents also said Van Damme had been charged over an “unpleasant confrontation” with a family at the Cape Town Waterfront last year.

“There were several opportunities to avoid an unpleasant confrontation, but Ms Van Damme seemed intent on prolonging the incident as long and as loudly as possible. Her behaviour in the presence of the security member leaves much to be desired,” according to the commission.

“A much higher degree of self-control may reasonably be expected from public representatives. If there was reason to request an apology, it could have been achieved in a much less aggressive and public fashion, and Ms Van Damme should not have allowed the matter to escalate.”

Gana is due to face a hearing after posting a tweet in March that appeared to support the police forcing people who had broken the lockdown to do frog-jump exercises.

“This is the best way to deal with them. People must learn to listen and STAY home. What’s so difficult with staying,” said Gana in his tweet while commenting on the video.

Mncwango, Gana and Van Damme did not want to comment.

DA federal council chair Helen Zille is due to appear before the commission this month over tweets that said there are more racist laws in the country than during apartheid.

Zille has objected to her disciplinary hearing being held on a digital platform.

Glynnis Breytenbach, the chair of the commission, said about charges against Gana: “I am not prepared to discuss charges or the process with you. The matter has still got to be heard. The matter is in a process, in a disciplinary process.”

Breytenbach said Zille was within her rights on the digital issue.

“In Helen’s matter we decided we will do it virtually. She made a presentation through her lawyer to say that, for the following reasons, they felt we should consider these reasons as well and perhaps consider whether the matter shouldn’t be heard in person.

“It’s a right that is extended to every single member of the party,” said Breytenbach.

“So we considered her reason and now we will make a determination.

“There is no fight or dispute, there’s no Helen refuses to have a virtual hearing, like some people are reporting.

“It’s her right to make a presentation, it’s normal and everyone does it. Why should she be different?”

Jacques Smalle, the leader of the DA in Limpopo, and his Mpumalanga counterpart, Jane Sithole, are under investigation for allegedly abusing party funds during last year’s election.

Smalle said: “I trust that the process of the legal commission is fair and I will not distance myself from the internal processes.”

Sithole could not be reached for comment.