VIDEO: Limpopo DA youth call for removal of Jacques Smalle
The group says Smalle has been leading in bad faith for the past nine years due to the "clearly slow growth" of the party in Limpopo.
POLOKWANE – Chaos erupted during a planned march outside the Limpopo Democratic Alliance (DA)’s office on Wednesday, when an organised group alleging to be members of the party, called for the removal of recently re-elected provincial administrative leader, Jacques Smalle.
* Correction: Video caption should read: Former Limpopo DA Youth deputy chairperson Khutso Kobe.
The group says Smalle has been leading in bad faith for the past nine years due to the “clearly slow growth” of the party in Limpopo, this according to the party’s former youth deputy chairperson Khutso Kobe, who was not recognised by the provincial chairperson, Lindy Wilson.
“To our knowledge, Tiego Thotse and Khutso Kobe have been suspended for peddling misinformation in the media without following internal processes,” Wilson said.
The group also says the DA in the province lost 32 council seats during the 2021 local government election as a result of Smalle’s failure to lead, ultimately putting the party under administration, and mentioned the investigation into his alleged transgressions in the same year.
Read more: Jacques Smalle welcomes investigations
Tension was high when Wilson refused to acknowledge Kobe as youth chair or sign the memorandum of demands, which included the removal of Smalle within five working days, prompting the group to interrupt her.
Wilson said she could not accept the memorandum as ‘some of those in attendance could very well not be DA members, seeing that their leaders are currently not party members, pending an investigation’.
Smalle referred the Polokwane Observer to Wilson for an official response which will be published in next week’s Polokwane Observer.
