Maimane nudged to discuss DA councillors’ ‘mass exodus’

Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane gave in to mounting pressure on questions regarding the exodus of five DA members during a City of Cape Town council meeting on Thursday.

He was in Polokwane, Limpopo today to launch the party’s Team One campaign and to submit a memorandum of demands to the Limpopo Economic Development Agency regarding the Makhado Musina special economic zone.

Although Maimane earlier in his address was reluctant to address questions related to the resignation of three DA councilors and two DA mayoral committee members, he eventually gave in and said the timing of their resignations was not surprising.

He said there were underlying factors as the five were also implicated in a report on corruption.

Maimane dismissed claims of racism made by the former members and said those allegations were a deflection.

Former DA councillor Suzette Little, one of the councillors that resigned on Thursday, told Power Fm that when the issue against Cape Town Mayor 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 being done about it, according to the radio station.

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.

(Compiled by Gopolang Chawane)

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