Cape Town - The ANC in the Western Cape has called on DA leader Helen Zille to explain her relationship with London-based billionaire Nathan (Natie) Kirsch, who was reportedly AgangSA’s donor.
“The ANC is also well aware of the averred long and historical links between the DA, Zille and Kirsch. There is reason to believe that the undue pressure that Kirsch exerted on Mamphela Ramphele in fact came at Zille’s behest and that it seems she lobbied other funders to do the same,” the ANC statement read on Tuesday.
Zille said Kirsch had nothing to do with her party’s move for Agang leader Mamphela Ramphele to become the DA’s presidential candidate.
“I can categorically say that Nathan Kirsch had nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with the DA’s offer... I have no knowledge of Mr Kirsch's relationship with Dr Ramphele, but the DA did not receive any financial inducements whatsoever to make our offer,” she said.
“We made it in the interests of strengthening the opposition to a corrupt ANC, and destroying the myth that the DA would ever bring back apartheid. I repeat, Mr Kirsch had absolutely nothing to do with it and was not involved in any way in the offer we made to Dr Ramphele,” said Zille.
Kirsch apparently funded then National Prosecuting Agency prosecutor Glynnis Breytenbach’s legal case against the agency. Breytenbach’s name appeared on the DA’s list for Parliament last month.
Meanwhile, the Primedia Group has condemned an ANC Youth League statement claiming Primedia had links with Kirsch. In the statement, the ANCYL said that William Kirsch was the chief executive of Primedia and that Primedia was owned by Issie Kirsch, brother of Nathan Kirsch.
Primedia executive chairman Kuben Pillay said the statement was malicious and defamatory. He said Issie Kirsch left the Primedia Group in 2000 and was replaced by Paul Nkuna. Pillay replaced William Kirsch, who resigned in 2009.
Cape Times