DA candidates make list despite scandals
The DA in the City of Cape Town has included in its candidate list a councillor facing allegations of fraud and money laundering, and another accused of misrepresenting her qualifications.
Both councillor Nora Grose and mayoral committee member for water and waste Xanthea Limberg feature high up on the DA’s proportional representation (PR) list and are almost guaranteed to be re-elected to the city council.
Limberg has yet to be cleared by the DA’s own investigation into a qualifications scandal, and Grose is facing fraud and money laundering charges. But Western Cape DA chair Jaco Londt has played down the inclusion of the two on the PR list.
Limberg was reported by the Weekend Argus earlier this year to have allegedly lied about having a degree in politics and public policy administration from the University of Cape Town and a BA in policy studies from Unisa, whereas she only has certificates from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and UCT.
At the time of the report, the party was reeling from a qualifications scandal concerning its former provincial leader, Bonginkosi Madikizela, who was outed for stating in his biography that he had a BCom degree when he had not completed it. Madikizela resigned as transport MEC, party leader and as a member of the provincial legislature.
The DA decided to hold a full qualifications investigation after other party members were also outed. Cape Town mayoral committee member for safety and security
JP Smith, who is number two on the list, was implicated in a recent qualifications scandal after it was stated in a biography sent by his office in 2019 that he had an honours degree in English from Stellenbosch University. He did not complete the degree. He told News24 this week that the DA has since cleared him.
Another DA leader who faced a qualifications probe was Saldanha Bay mayor Marius Koen, who has reached a plea deal with the party after stating that he had an MBA.
Grose is out on R10,000 bail after handing herself in to the authorities earlier this year in relation to allegations of misappropriation of funds for food relief.
She stepped aside from party duties last month. When asked about Grose, Londt said: “All candidates went through a rigorous selection process. By law you are innocent until proven guilty.”
He added: “The DA presented an experienced, diverse team that under the leadership of [DA mayoral candidate Geordin HillLewis] will take the city to new heights. When the ANC eventually submits a PR list, which they shouldn’t be allowed to, voters will be comfortable knowing that the DA is the best choice to keep their city as the benchmark for South Africa.”
But the ANC leader in the council, Xolani Sotashe, slammed the DA as hypocrites.
“What the DA is saying to the electorate is that everything the ANC is doing is wrong. But what the DA is doing is worse than what the ANC has done. This Grose person not only is being accused of money laundering and fraud, the DA is taking taxpayers’ money to pay for the legal fees of this person.
“In a nutshell, what the DA is saying to the electorate is vote for us again so that we can continue to abuse you.”
He said the ANC is still waiting for the outcome of the DA investigation of Limberg.
“The DA does not walk the talk. For them to project themselves as the champions of good governance, I think people should see the DA for what it is. It’s not a party to be trusted.”