DURBAN – High up sources in the DA said the party was now divided between “us and them”, with Mbali Ntuli’s allies alleging that some leaders, including chief whip in Parliament John Steenhuisen, were behind her woes.
Ntuli, the former youth league leader, was charged for liking a social media post that said Helen Zille was a racist.
A complaint against Ntuli was laid on February 11 by Bonginkosi Madikizela, before he was elected Western Cape provincial leader.
An investigation found no case against her.
But an appeal was launched which has raised the ire of Ntuli’s allies who believed that this was a deliberate ploy by some leaders to block her from standing for any position when the DA elected new leadership later this year.
She was charged last Friday.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a party insider said they knew that Madikizela was instructed by some leaders to lay the charge.
In return, the source said the leaders promised to lobby for him to become provincial leader. In March, he was appointed in an acting position when Patricia de Lille resigned.
Another source said they were perplexed because the charge was laid after an independent body concluded there was no case against her.
“But some people pushed. It baffles me.”
The source said Ntuli had the backing of party leader Mmusi Maimane, while Madikizela enjoyed the support of Zille.
False
When contacted, Steenhuisen shot down the claims, saying, “It’s completely false.”
Ntuli, now an MPL in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature, was preparing her defence ahead of the hearing on Thursday which will be presided over by the party’s legal federal committee in Durban.
She maintained her innocence and would not be drawn into commenting any further, saying it was against party policies.
Steenhuisen said, “I have not been part of laying the charges or formulating the charges. And I was present at the meeting where the decision was made.”
DA's John Steenhuisen
Steenhuisen said these were fabrications and untrue statements aimed at tarnishing his image.
“Well, some people may have a political agenda to try to make damaging allegations. But they must make allegations that are true.
“This is not supported by facts. This is so absurd.”
He said he was not a complainant in the matter.
Despite the glaring divisions, Steenhuisen said the party was united.
“I don’t think we are divided. We are united in our view to move the country forward.”
This was not the first time that the DA got entangled in a racial spat.
KwaZulu-Natal DA leader Zwakele Mncwango was blamed for outing DA MP Dianne Kohler Barnard when she was charged for sharing a Facebook post that called for the return of apartheid era president PW Botha.
At the time, Kohler Barnard’s allies believed that Mncwango wanted to see her being axed, a claim he denied.
Speaking about Ntuli’s charges, Mncwango said, “They have a right to charge her. We always say we respect party process. But we can’t really ignore that there has been a report by federal legal committee where it’s said there’s no case to answer.”
He said he also respected that report.
“But obviously if individuals within the party wanted the matter to be reviewed it’s their right to do so. We will wait for them.”
Madikizela declined to comment.