Cape Town - The woman at the centre of a public spat between Premier Helen Zille and ANC MPL Cameron Dugmore has spoken out about the emotional abuse she claims she suffered at the hands of Zille.
Solange Rosa, former chief director for policy in Zille’s department, said she was bullied into resigning because she wasn’t a DA member and stood firm against Zille’s autocratic style and unlawful interference.
“As a result of the premier’s regular bullying, abuse, threats and insults to me on a number of occasions in public and in private, and her lack of trust in my capacity and competency and that of the staff in the policy unit, I eventually resigned in September 2015. Helen is a bully and caused me to resign,” Rosa told the Cape Argus on Monday.
It was the first time Rosa had made these allegations. Michael Mpofu, Zille’s spokesperson, dismissed the allegations made by Rosa.
The first mention of Rosa was made during a tense parliamentary meeting last week in which the premier’s annual departmental report was scrutinised and Dugmore questioned Zille about the circumstances surrounding Rosa’s resignation.
Director-general Brent Gerber confirmed that Rosa resigned minutes after a meeting at which Zille allegedly openly criticised her.
Rosa said the emotional strain stemming from Zille’s attacks and open “unfair”criticism had been “unbearable”.
“I had an executive coach, who I consulted after the Helen Zille attacks. I had the support of my colleagues, but this was really emotionally taxing,” she said.
Rosa was appointed director of policy and strategy in 2006, in the Department of the Premier following interviews with management officials.
“The ANC was in power in the province at the time, but I was not involved in any ANC politics, nor was I a member of the ANC. I applied for that position based on my skills and expertise,” she said.
Prior to that, Rosa worked at the University of Cape Town as a senior legal researcher.
“In 2009, the DA came into power in the Western Cape. Our chief directorate was restructured but I retained my position. In June 2012, I was appointed chief director of policy and strategy after having gone through a full recruitment process,” she said.
The panel consisted of director-general Brent Gerber, deputy director-general Laurine Platzky, head of department for Cultural Affairs and Sport Brent Walters, special adviser to the premier Ryan Coetzee, and MEC for Finance Ivan Meyer.
“The premier was unhappy about it as she wanted someone in the position with a DA background and I did not have any DA background,” said Rosa.
“There were a number of instances when I was recruiting staff for the policy unit in which the premier tried to interfere in the processes to ensure DA staff would be appointed. I resisted this political interference. From then on, the premier made my position intolerable.”
In an e-mail, Mpofu said: “The fact is, Ms Rosa chose to resign. Now, two years later, the ANC and Ms Rosa have chosen to engage in public mud-slinging.”
The ANC did not comment.