Cape Town - DA Western Cape leader hopeful Lennit Max has withdrawn his nomination as deputy leader, instead throwing his weight behind the incumbent deputy leader Theuns Botha.
Botha, who is recovering from a kidney operation, has made himself available for the post of deputy leader of the province and will now only go up against Western Cape Human Settlements MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela.
Max told a media briefing at the Western Cape legislature on Tuesday that he supported Botha’s candidacy and would instead solely focus on his campaign for provincial leader.
But in a surprise move Botha said that while he was grateful for Max’s support, he did not offer anything in return.
“I do not endorse his candidature for provincial leader.”
Max was supported by DA MPL Maxizole Mnqasela who has publicly endorsed his candidacy.
Mnqasela described Max as the man who would be able to get more support for the party.
“I do believe that he has got the capacity, the kind of strength and experience that we need to lead this province,” he said.
Max explained that while a few weeks ago he had supported Madikizela’s nomination for deputy leader, he changed his mind after Madikizela jumped ship and supported mayor Patricia de Lille.
“There’s no way he can have my support and that of the other candidate. It was his choice not mine,” he added.
Max, who has unsuccessfully competed twice in the past for the provincial leadership post, said things would be different this time around because the DA was an evolving political party and the party membership had changed.
While refuting claims that the race between himself and De Lille was turning ugly, Max expressed concern about attempts by certain newly elected regional leaders who he said had been trying to influence people to vote on a block basis (where everyone votes for the same candidate).
Asked if there has been any interference by party leadership in the provincial leadership race, Max said: “Nobody has contacted me and they would not dare do it. They know me, I’m nobody’s lapdog and nobody’s puppet. I’ve been born with brains,” he warned.
But while Max was playing down infighting, an SMS encouraging members to support De Lille has been widely circulated throughout the DA regions.
Responding to the SMS, Max said they were aware that some newly elected members in the party’s three regions in the province had been urging party members to vote in blocks for his opponent.
Hinting at some behind-the-scenes underhandedness in the provincial leadership race, Mnqasela said: “There are people now who will try and think that because of their positions, they can tell delegates who to vote for.”
But he stressed that delegates would not be intimidated.
Cape Argus