By Philda Essop
Accusations of nepotism have exploded around Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille over the appointment of her sister Sarah Paulse as a member of the Western Cape legislature.
The row follows the resignation of Boland branch chairperson Russel du Plessis in August because "the party has lost credibility as a fighter for justice and fairness".
Former branch secretary Johnnery Mouton is also critical of the appointment and said she was "deeply disappointed" when the ID appointed De Lille's sister to the legislature.
Mouton claims to have worked hard before the election and "poured thousands of rands" into the party.
"Why did she jump to Sarah, who was ninth on the parliamentary list?," she asked.
"We used to visit Sarah often and it was clear that she was politically ignorant. How can somebody who knows nothing about politics represent you? The ID is just like any other party - they only look after themselves."
Paulse resigned from her job in Worcester three months before the April election. She was ninth on the ID's provincial candidates list but was chosen to fill one of the three seats the party won in the legislature.
De Lille denied all the allegations around Paulse and said she had been working with her on the party long before it was formed. She said that because the ID was gender sensitive, 30 percent of all the party structures must be represented by women.
Florence Batyi, Paulse and Mouton were the first three women on the provincial parliamentary list.
When another woman on the list for the National Assembly became ill, Batyi moved to parliament and Paulse automatically became the next woman on the list for the provincial legislature, De Lille said.
It was "agreed by all party members" that Paulse would fill the third vacant position in the legislature, she said.
In his letter of resignation Du Plessis said: "Everyone knows how little her sister knows about politics and how little she did or is able to do to deserve this position.
"My decision is not one of bitterness, but one the Patricia de Lille of the media would call a matter of principle."
Attached to his letter was a copy of resolutions passed at a district meeting on July 31 that decided Paulse's appointment boiled down to nepotism.
"There are no reasonable explanations for the placement of the sister of the national leader in the Western Cape legislature. It is clear that it was planned and influenced by the fact that she is the sister of the national leader."
Another letter in the possession of the Cape Argus is signed by 15 members of the ID's Breede Valley branch in Worcester. De Lille was asked by the branch to provide answers to a number of questions around Paulse.
"Why was the chairperson of the Boland district placed 14th on the candidates' list, while your sister, a branch chairperson, is ninth on the list?" the letter asks.
"How can you place your sister higher than someone who has co-ordinated and administered the activities of the Boland district?
"Is it your considered opinion that your sister is competent to count under the 10 best leaders in the province? Is what is happening in your party not nepotism?"
De Lille said she would not respond to the allegations because those who made them were no longer ID members.
"Russel has joined the ANC while Johnnery was forced to resign two weeks ago under a cloud. The letter the Breede Valley branch wrote was dismissed by a meeting we had about the issue months ago," she said.
"That letter was torn up at that meeting. It was at that meeting that it transpired that Russel had lied to the members."
Paulse said she had nothing to add. "My leader has said everything you wanted to know," she said.