DA fields racism allegations, questions timing

Democratic Alliance Cape Town metro chairperson Grant Twigg has slammed racism allegations from party councillors who resigned from the party during a city council sitting on Thursday.

Speaking on Power FM breakfast to Bob Mabena and Thabo Mdluli, Twigg addressed questions on five councillors resigning and claiming there was racism within the DA.

Twigg elaborated on why there were two Bowman’ Gilfillan reports against Western Cape mayor Patricia De Lille.

“Look, the one report is the more detailed report indicating everything, from SMSs to who said what and all of that. The other report, […] claims to be clearing Patricia de Lille… There’s no clearing of anybody in that report.

“Basically what it is saying is that Patricia de Lille is not a responsible person.”

Five councillors resigned claiming De Lille was being unfairly targeted and that there was racism in the DA.

Twigg said the timing of them leaving was deflecting the issue, which was possible corruption.  He said the members were a part of the DA for a period of two years and could have raised racism allegations.

“They could have raised the issue and they hadn’t,” Twigg said.

Former DA councillor Suzette Little, one of the councillors that resigned on Thursday, told Power Fm that when the issue against De Lille started fifteen months ago, she and a few members of the DA held a meeting with DA MP James Selfe exposing the level of racism and nothing was done.

DA chief whip Shaun August allegedly wrote to the DA numerous times raising issues of a minority that was protected at the expense of a black majority within the party and that nothing was done about it.

Twigg was asked if he was aware. He said it had not come to his attention. He said there were mechanisms to deal with complaints such as racism that could have been followed to ensure their issues were attended to.

The DA’s Cape Town council chief whip Shaun August resigned shortly after Mayor Patricia de Lille defended herself against allegations of corruption in council.

His resignation was followed by four other DA councillors including mayoral committee members Little and Siya Mamkeli. The other two members are Greg Bernado and Thulani Stemela.

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