Durban - Zwakele Mncwango, the DA leader in KwaZulu-Natal, and his allies have rid of the party those who rebelled, with former provincial leader Sizwe Mchunu the latest victim.
This is according to high-profile sources who spoke to the Sunday Tribune on condition of anonymity.
Mchunu announced earlier this week that he was “voluntarily” stepping down as the leader of the DA caucus in the provincial legislature.
Recently, former DA councillor Clive Lotz defected to the ANC after he was accused, among other things, of leaking information to the media. He followed Lungisani Sikhakhane, also a former DA councillor, who joined the ANC.
And now, Mchunu has also stepped down. All are from Msunduzi, where according to sources, Mncwango vowed to “dismantle” the grouping that was believed to be “unruly”.
Chairperson of the north central Durban DA constituency, Emmanuel Mhlongo, was also walking on thin ice, sources said. However, Mhlongo shot down these claims.
Mchunu was dislodged by Mncwango during the party’s elective congress in Richards Bay last year. He remained caucus leader in the legislature until this week. He is now an ordinary member of the provincial legislature.
“Mncwango is aware of the people who are against his leadership and he will deal with them,” said a source.
Mchunu, who has been a member of the DA for more than 20 years, was seen as the leader of the “rebels”, said another source.
The official opposition is saddled with infighting, according to sources.
The Dianne Kohler-Barnard saga, when she shared a Facebook post calling for the return of apartheid-era president PW Botha, was also cited as the reason for tensions.
Mncwango was at the time fingered by some in the party for knifing Kohler-Barnard, a known ally of Mchunu. This was after he supplied evidence to the disciplinary committee against Kohler-Barnard.
“Don’t be fooled by what you see on TV and in newspapers, the DA is divided between us and them. And the purging won’t stop,” said a source.
Mchunu told the Sunday Tribune there was nothing “unbecoming” about his relationship with Mncwango.
“It’s the relationship of him being provincial leader and me being the public servant. That’s where it ends.”
Mchunu said he was not “100 percent happy” with the direction the DA was taking.
About the reports that he stepped down because he knew that he was going to be axed, he said “those are utter lies”.
“I took this decision early this year because I thought it was about time that I gave some other people a chance to lead,” he said.
However, several sources held a different view. “There was no way that Mchunu would have been elected.
“The fact is they don’t get on with Mncwango,” said a source.
Mchunu said it had been an interesting but arduous journey. Mncwango said it was not true Mchunu had stepped down because of him as he was not a member of the caucus in the legislature.
Francois Rodgers, the man who replaced Mchunu, said: “I am delighted and honoured to be elected to this position.”
He said his aim was to weaken the ANC to below 50 percent in the province.
“I have enormous respect for Sizwe. He has done a tremendous job and I will forever lean on him for guidance.”
His term will end in 2019, the year of the national elections.
Sunday Tribune