Cape Town - Insults and mudslinging have characterised a war of words between acting DA Western Cape leader Bonginkosi Madikizela and DA MPL Lennit Max as the provincial leadership racehots up.
Madikizela, also the Western Cape human settlements MEC, took to Facebook after Max confirmed in a statement that he would be contesting the position of provincial leader. In the statement Max quoted figures on the DA’s declining support in the Western Cape.
DA MPL Lennit Max File picture: Ian Landsberg/ANA
Madikizela retorted: “If you quote stats to justify why you should be elected, you should at least be accurate. In May this year, Ipsos released a small sample in their research on the support of political parties. Only 430 people were interviewed in the Western Cape, 47% indicated they would vote for the DA, 20% for the ANC and 3% for the EFF.”
Max said in a statement that the latest Ipsos survey indicated that under the current leadership DA support in the Western Cape had decreased from 63.60% in 2016 to 47% in 2017.
Madikizela, however, said that 20% of those interviewed could not indicate their choice of political party and that the sample was too small to come to a definite conclusion.
“Ipsos said the figure should, however, not be regarded as the prediction of 2019 elections as it was simply too long before the time to start making predictions. “So, for anyone to use this information to present himself as a saviour is ill informed and indicative of a lack of understanding,” Madikizela added.
Madikizela is under a cloud after the Western Cape Legislature’s conduct committee instituted a probe of his birthday party, which was held at the upmarket One&Only V&A Waterfront restaurant. The committee is also investigating allegations that he failed to declare a R3000 cake which was a gift from a contractor doing business with his department.
Max, in a statement to the Cape Argus, said Madikizela did not read his statement properly.
“If my opponent read my statement properly, he would’ve realised that the information contained in my statement is what was reported to me. I am a person unlike him, who first consulted and listened to the structures before I accepted my nomination,” Max said. Max also referred to the DA’s east region elective conference where Jaco Londt, a Max-supporter, was re-elected as regional leader.