Durban - The ANC is not giving up on its fight with DA MP Dianne Kohler Barnard.
This week it filed papers in the Western Cape Equality Court over a post she shared last year on Facebook. They claim the post insinuated that life in South Africa under apartheid president PW Botha was better than democracy.
ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe confirmed the action.
The ANC believes the post constituted hate speech and it wants the court to order the Durban-based MP to pay R500 000 to an organisation the court deems fit.
A party disciplinary panel recommended she be fined R20 000 and axed from all positions in the party. She was also ordered to attend a social media management course at her own expense.
However, the DA federal executive took a harder line and terminated her membership.
She fought back and lodged an appeal with the party’s federal legal commission. As a result, her expulsion was suspended for five years.
According to the chairman of the DA’s executive federal committee, James Selfe, Kohler Barnard paid the R20 000 fine to an NGO but the money had been rejected. He said the money had later been paid to the Nelson Mandela Foundation, but the foundation could not confirm this.
On the issue of social media training Selfe said: “It was decided that the entire parliamentary caucus could benefit from the course in the use of social media but the course was delayed because of the municipal election.”
Kohler Barnard referred all queries to the DA. However, the party was not available to comment on the Equality Court matter.
Meanwhile, the Kohler Barnard issue continues to divide the DA. It became a talking point following the local government elections in which Nicole Graham was elected as the ward councillor for Umbilo and Glenwood in Durban.
She appeared before a party disciplinary hearing for leaking information to outsiders. Some in the party claim it was related to the Kohler Barnard post. However, Graham herself denied that.
Graham was found guilty. She told the Sunday Tribune she had been told of the verdict on Thursday and still needed to consult her legal representatives.
But some within the party believe the issue should have prevented her from contesting the elections.
A party member who asked not be named said: “Some people do pettier things and they get fired from the party, but she committed such a serious offence and was given a slap on the wrist.”
The provincial leadership have stood by Graham’s side with Zwakele Mncwango claiming she was the best performing councillor. “She is one of our future leaders, we all make mistakes”.
Sunday Tribune