DA responds to Maepa’s ‘k-word’ threat

The Democratic Alliance has answered the Tshwane ANC regional chairperson Kgosi Maepa’s threat of a WhatsApp message alleging a DA member referred to other DA members using the k-word.

In a statement, the party said they noted the ANC’s allegations of a racist WhatsApp conversation that took place between two members of the DA but said the members involved in the matter have sworn the text was fabricated.

The members have voluntarily asked that their devices undergo a forensic investigation.

“It is clear that the desperate ANC wants to peddle lies that have no basis, in an attempt to muddy the waters in Tshwane.

“Any form of racism, on any platform, goes against the DA’s values of freedom, fairness, opportunity, diversity, and what we stand for as public representatives.”

The DA said they would not allow any fabricated attack to undermine their project of nation-building and reconciliation which the nation committed to in 1994.

The party has also rebuked claims of corruption against city mayor Solly Msimanga made by the ANC.

They claimed the ANC had recently suffered extraordinary reputational damage through the VBS revelations, the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture, and other issues such as Life Esidimeni and e-Tolls. This, according to the DA, is a ploy by the ANC to strike and attack even “on the basis of fake news”.

“It is ironic that the very person who is leading the charge against this corruption, namely mayor Solly Msimanga, is being accused. Yet, on Thursday, we witnessed the very same failing ANC and its partners in the coalition of corruption block an investigation and a possible suspension.”

The DA even dismissed the ANC’s claim of them being the ones that exposed the GladAfrica scandal.

“This is not true. In fact, they are ‘mafikizolos’ (newbies) because they only took action after mayor Solly Msimanga pursued allegations made by a whistle-blower.”

Maepa said earlier on Monday that he was planning to lodge criminal charges against a few DA members – one of those charges being for the use of the k-word in a WhatsApp conversation.

Maepa planned on opening a criminal case against Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga for the contravention of a municipal act at the Brooklyn police station on Monday.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.