Twitter reminds DA of Eastern Cape premier candidate’s ‘dead girlfriend incident’

Following news that the DA had announced its Eastern Cape leader Nqaba Bhanga as its premier candidate for the 2019 elections in the province, some on social media were quick to remind the party that Bhanga had been implicated in an unfortunate incident allegedly involving his girlfriend.

In July this year, the DA said it would be investigating what happened in a fatal accident involving Bhanga’s bodyguard.

Reports emerged last year in October that Bhanga was at a shebeen when he allegedly sent his bodyguard in his Nelson Mandela Bay council car in the early hours of the morning to pick up his girlfriend from a residence at Nelson Mandela University.

The bodyguard was later involved in a fatal accident in Algoa Park in which two people, including the young woman, were killed.

The DA was meant to have investigated the circumstances of the incident, but it’s still unclear what the findings were or what steps were taken in relation to it.

Mazzone admitted that no disciplinary hearing had been held against Bhanga, who had admitted to the Daily Dispatch that he had sent his bodyguard in the car to “go fetch something from somewhere”.

A widely reshared tweet, although evidently not completely accurate in its details, was picked up by many on social media – including EFF leader Julius Malema – on Wednesday and reshared after the premier news on Bhanga broke.

Hloni Nyetenyane said: “Nqaba Bhanga sent bodyguard to fetch his girlfriend from a tavern using a NMB Council vehicle in the middle of the night. Vehicle was involved in an accident, his girlfriend died & bodyguard has since been arrested. Now DA is fielding Nqaba as EC Premier candidate.”

#NqabaBhanga sent bodyguard to fetch his girlfriend from a tavern using #NMBCouncil vehicle in the middle of the night. Vehicle was involved in an accident, his girlfriend died & bodyguard has since been arrested. Now DA is fielding Nqaba as EC Premier candidate#NqabaForPremier pic.twitter.com/jywQXERyyo

— Bra Hloni (@BraHlonisky) September 5, 2018

Last year, UDM councillor Mongameli Bobani (now the mayor) said the fact that the vehicle was used to transport people without the DA’s then mayoral committee member on human settlements in it should have been grounds for dismissal.