DA’s Mazzone slams claim she lied about her qualifications

As the DA’s federal legal commission investigates allegations that its Western Cape leader Bonginkosi Madikizela lied about his qualifications, the party’s chief whip, Natasha Mazzone, on Friday dismissed social media claims she had also falsified her qualifications.

This after the Good party’s secretary-general, Brett Herron, took to Twitter to claim that Mazzone’s Wikipedia biography incorrectly stated that she was a trained advocate by profession.

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Herron implied that Mazzone changed her biography following an investigation into the qualification saga involving Madikizela.

He tweeted: “Yesterday [Thursday] there was clearly a lot of urgent banging away on keyboards going on in the DA. Until yesterday Natasha Mazzone’s bio claimed she was an advocate, but today [Friday] it says ‘none’ for profession. You need an LLB degree to be an advocate.”

Herron, a former DA member, also claimed there were questions over the qualifications of Saldanha Bay mayor Marius Koen and Western Cape human settlements MEC Tertius Simmers.

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde on Thursday suspended Madikizela as MEC of transport and public works for a period of 14 days while an investigation determines the facts regarding his incomplete BCom degree and for misleading a journalist.

Madikizela also decided to voluntarily step down as the DA provincial leader for two weeks.

‘You sick and damaged man’

In a series of tweets, Mazzone hit back at Herron over his claims and confirmed her highest qualification was a grade 12 certificate.

A clearly livid Mazzone said her father passed away on Friday and called Herron a “sick and damaged man” when she was too weak to fight his lies.

“Let me explain how sick a person can be. On the morning that my father dies, Brett Herron decides that I will be too weak to fight his lies. Think again you sick and damaged man. You are a lying, trouble-making political scoundrel. You are exactly where you belong [sic],” she tweeted.

In response, Herron said he could not have known that Mazzone’s father had died and apologised for being insensitive.

“Dear Natasha, I obviously didn’t and couldn’t know that your father had passed away this morning. I am sorry to hear this & extend my sympathies to your family. Our work on the integrity of political leadership, across all parties, is important and that’s why we continued today,” he said.

But Mazzone was not pleased.“What you are doing is evil, wrong and you are not the person I thought you were. I have always teased myself for being a matriculant. You know that.”

Read tweets below:

Let me explain how SICK a person can be. On the morning that my father dies, Brett Herron decides that I will be too weak to fight his lies. Thing again you sick and damaged man. You are a lying, trouble making political scoundrel. You are exactly where you belong. https://t.co/IvCFdhQKwP pic.twitter.com/5pK8C8vuIg

— Natasha Mazzone MP (@Natasha9Mazzone) April 16, 2021

Dear Natasha, I obviously didn’t and couldn’t know that your father had passed away this morning. I am sorry to hear this & extend my sympathies to your family. Our work on the integrity of political leadership, across all parties, is important and that’s why we continued today

— Brett Herron ???????? (@brettherron) April 16, 2021

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