Which DA head will roll next?
20 April 2015
The ANC says it becomes clearer that a palace revolution is taking place in the DA and that the divisions of that party plays itself out with another senior member as casualty.
The fact that Helen Zille suddenly left the coveted position as national leader and now former provincial leader Theuns Botha out of the blue retired from politics after his defeat this weekend at the Western Cape DA elections running as deputy leader shows all is not well in that party. Botha was systematically pushed out by Zille who demoted him a few weeks ago as Health MEC.
Botha’s public admission that the DA’s national leader should also lead the party in the national parliament (Zille kept her positions as Cape Town mayor and Western Cape premier) and that the provincial leader ought to be the premier of the province (Zille stays on as premier and Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille just became the provincial leader, but De Lille will stay on as mayor) is revealing the tensions within the DA.
ANC Western Cape legislature chief whip Pierre Uys says: “The split in the DA at its provincial elective conference is substantial and shows it is deeply divided. Especially the rural areas feel neglected and many are disillusioned with the orchestrated way in which the new leadership was imposed. The strong rumours that pressure was used to bulldoze any resistance, shows the DA’s internal process is strained.
“In fact Botha admits that the system to elect new leaders is wrong and should be changed. This says it all. It also shows that the DA leaders continue to manage affairs by remote control. How else will De Lille control her caucus in the legislature and national parliament? She will have to set up her trusted faithful in both spheres where she will not be physically present. And, all have seen how disastrous that can be when tensions between Zille and then parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko grew and things got out of control with flip-flops on important positions and bills.
“Mazibuko ran away… It pretty much looks the same now. Whose head will be rolling next? The fight is already on to find a replacement for Botha. Will Zille or De Lille choose the candidate? And what is the future of the unsuccessful provincial leader challenger MPL Lennit Max who managed to muster a rather large block of votes? Will he be tolerated or is he too on his way out? Only time will tell.”
Statement issued by ANC Western Cape legislature chief whip Pierre Uys, April 20 2015
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