Pretoria - Suspended Limpopo DA leader Jacques Smalle has been rumoured to have hit the ground running, resuming his duties in the party despite having been suspended and currently undergoing a virtual disciplinary hearing.
Smalle, the Limpopo DA leader for nine years, was suspended a year ago after being slapped with five charges from the DA Federal Commission led by party chairperson Helen Zille.
The charges include tax fraud, after he was said to have allegedly avoided paying tax on his travel allowance by arranging for the money to be paid to the bank account of his personal assistant, whose name is known to the Pretoria News.
Smalle, who is the party’s member of the provincial legislature, is also accused of using the legislature’s support fund for personal use.
Before his suspension, Smalle was supposed to face off with DA MP and former party national spokesperson, Solly Malatsi, for the province’s top spot when the conference was suspended early last year.
The third charge deals with Smalle having issued press statements relating to his campaign that sought to portray himself as a victim of a smear campaign, despite the matter being before the Federal Legal Commission.
Last week Smalle released a media statement that referred to him as the DA’s Limpopo spokesperson on education despite his suspension. In it he decried 238 learners of Ratjeke Primary School forced to attend classes outside because of the dilapidated school.
A DA insider said Smalle was back at work and the party leadership was not aware of it. The source said this was in preparation for Smalle to contest at the DA provincial conference later this year. The party in the province was put under administration after his suspension as DA leader paving the way for Member of Parliament and deputy chairperson of the Federal Council, James Masango, to lead the party.
Yesterday Masango said: “Smalle is still suspended pending his case.”
Masango defended Smalle last week, saying, “He was … not suspended as a member of the legislature.”
Biut the source said Smalle was going into their office in Polokwane doing organisational work. DA national spokesperson Siviwe Gwarube did not respond to texts for comment.
Pretoria News