‘DA officials at war with each other,’ says qualifications whistleblower

Good Party secretary-general Brett Herron has told The Citizen that Democratic Alliance (DA) members are at war with each other, and they are going as far as leaking each other’s dirt to the public domain.

Herron raised the alarm about the qualifications of DA chief whip Natasha Mazzone, Western Cape MEC for human settlements Tertius Simmers, and Saldanha Bay mayor Marius Koen at the weekend.

This is after the DA suspended transport MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela following his admission that he did not complete a Bcom degree, as stated on his CV.

Herron has since been accused by DA leader John Steenhuisen of a “smear campaign”.

However, Herron says he has always “refrained from sharing unverified allegations that factional members of the DA  have shared with him about each other”.

“I am being flooded with unverified allegations by some DA members against their very own.”

He said the Good Party would continue commenting on matters that have been raised in the public space, relating to the ethics and integrity of those who hold prominent office in government or in Parliament.

ALSO READ: DA’s Mazzone slams claim she lied about her qualifications

He has since questioned the DA’s motives after the party reportedly said it would be asking the University of Hull about Koen’s qualifications.

The DA has since stood by Mazzone, and said that she has, for many years, publicly stated that she never finished her law degree and that she has never claimed to be an attorney or advocate.

Herron said the allegations of Mazzone qualification misrepresentation are as serious as the ones that have ensnared Madikizela.

“While Madikizela has been placed on suspension, and publicly acknowledged his fraud, Mazzone has responded by attempting to attack my character for raising the matter on the day her father died. Instead of Ms Mazzone simply clarifying the issue, questions about whether she has overstated her qualifications persist,” said Herron.