Cape Town - As an often vocal and outspoken politician, Premier Helen Zille kept a low profile during the municipal elections campaign.
When quizzed at the IEC’s provincial results and operations centre in Century City about spending most of her time campaigning in the eastern Cape, she said: “We had other places to focus on. The leadership of the party wanted me to go to Port Elizabeth, stand in the queue and greet the people, and that’s what I did. I got on a plane, went to Port Elizabeth, stood in the queues and greeted the people.”
Zille said she chose to keep a low profile because “I’m not the leader anymore”.
The DA icon’s absence during the election campaign had the party’s rumour mill spinning out of control, as speculation mounted she might be bidding farewell to public office.
Zille’s recent trip to Germany only fanned the flames.
Just before the provincial legislature break before local government elections, some within the party believed Zille to be on her way out after she announced the publication of Not Without a Fight.
High-ranking members of the party are convinced once the book is released, Zille will exit the provincial parliament and retire “on a high note”.
“There’s been much speculation about the book and what it contains, but suffice to say it contains information that many would not want public,” a source told the Daily News’ s sister paper Cape Argus. Other party members said rumours of the premier’s impending departure were “mere speculation”.
On Friday, Zille tweeted: “So glad my publishers allowed me till today to do some final work on my book to include the fantastic 2016 election climax.”
Some DA members were confused by the timing of the publication of the book, questioning why it would be published while she is still in office.
“Why expose yourself unless you are planning on not being in office when the book is done,” one party member said.
Party insiders portrayed Zille as “untouchable” within the party, despite handing over the reins to Mmusi Maimane in May last year.
High ranking DA members said the new leadership wanted to show they could get the results in the local government poll without Zille being at the centre of the campaign, interfering and controlling every aspect of the campaign. The premier declined to comment on her political future, and said she would continue to support the leadership of the party.