Probe into Zille tweet saga complete - Breytenbach
Cape Town - Democratic Alliance MP Glynnis Breytenbach says her investigation into Helen Zille's latest tweet saga is done, but the final decision lies with the party's federal executive council.
Breytenbach said on Friday that she was tasked with leading an investigation into Zille's recent comments about colonialism and Singapore, but insisted the party must still decide whether to institute charges.
"There hasn't been a decision yet on disciplinary hearings," she told News24.
"It's not my decision, it's the Federal Executive's decision.
"I've given them my report and have finished the investigation, and they must make a decision."
Breytenbach said she did not want to comment on its contents until after the federal executive made its decision this weekend.
She said she was happy that she was not the one who would have to make the decision.
In the balance
Federal executive chairperson James Selfe said earlier this week that they would decide on Saturday whether to refer the matter to a panel for a disciplinary hearing.
If it is referred to a disciplinary panel, the panel would meet and make a finding and a recommendation.
Selfe said the federal executive had to accept the finding of the disciplinary panel, and could amend the sanction, by either increasing or reducing it, if there was a good reason.
Zille's political career is in the balance following her tweets last Thursday, from which the party was quick to distance itself.
She had been reading up on Singapore's post-colonial success, and tweeted her thoughts.
She eventually tweeted: "For those claiming legacy of colonialism was ONLY negative, think of our independent judiciary, transport infrastructure, piped water etc."
A second tweet read: "Getting onto an aeroplane now and won't get onto the wi-fi so that I can cut off those who think EVERY aspect of colonial legacy was bad."
She clarified her thoughts in a column on Monday.
