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By Daniel Friedman

Digital news editor


Zille ‘partly responsible’ if DA numbers are down – Van Damme

The DA MP has taken her fellow party member to task over her call for a tax revolt.


DA MP Phumzile Van Damme has written a series of tweets taking Cape Town Premier Helen Zille to task over her proposed tax revolt.

Zille called for a tax revolt if those implicated at the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture are not prosecuted and jailed in a “reasonable amount of time”.

She has since defended the call, saying South African history is full of examples of tax revolts. She cited the civil disobedience campaign which saw Gauteng residents refuse to pay e-tolls and the Bambatha Zulu rebellion against the imposition of a “poll tax” by the British colonisers in 1906 as two examples.

READ MORE: Zille slams ‘hysteria’ following her call for a tax revolt

The DA, however, has distanced itself from the calls, through their official Twitter account as well as through party leader Mmusi Maimane and spokesperson Solly Malatsi, among other prominent members.

Now, Van Damme has fired off a series of tweets addressed to Zille over the proposed revolt.

Van Damme, who says she is “genuinely trying to understand” how the revolt would work, asks the Cape Town premier a number of questions.

Her final tweet, in which she says she is “playing devil’s advocate”, asks Zille if she shouldn’t be held “partly responsible” if DA voter registration numbers are down, as the call for a tax revolt was made on the final weekend in which people could register to vote.

Van Damme also asks Zille if the revolt would just apply to areas the DA doesn’t govern or also ones where it does, and if DA voters should also “bare the brunt” of services “grinding to a halt” if the revolt takes place.

READ MORE: Maimane’s future uncertain amid alleged plans to oust him – report

The Citizen contacted Zille, who said she will be writing a column addressing all these issues on the weekend.

She did say that “previous tax revolts, such as e-tolls and TV licences, have been massively popular with the DA and it’s leadership”.

“I suggest that the proposal in principle that I made would also enjoy significant support,” she continued.

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