The African National Congress (ANC) in the Western Cape is calling on embattled Democratic Alliance (DA) member, Helen Zille to resign from her position as provincial premier. This after the DA’s federal executive on Saturday suspended Zille from all party activities pending the outcome of her disciplinary process. Earlier this year, Zille stirred conversation within the country after she tweeted comments suggesting that despite negative opinion about colonialism, it has had a positive impact in the country. She has since been ridiculed for her comments, many outing her as ‘closet racist’.
Echoing public sentiment, the ANC’s Khaya Magaxa says Zille is not good enough for the DA and the province.
“We feel very strongly that the DA is still playing with us and is not doing what it is suppose to do.”
Magaxa called to into question the continued role that Zille plays within the legislature as a representative of the party.
“The fact of the matter is that Zille has undermined their [the DA’s] own leadership; she is still the premier, despite her suspension. But if she is suspended in the party, why is she not suspended in the legislature, because that’s where she is doing the party’s work,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the premier has personally voiced her concern about the contradictory statements regarding her suspension.
“I would be given until the 6th of June to provide reason to the FedEx why i should not be suspended and then Mmusi Maimane went into a conference and announced that i had been suspended. So, there was a clear difference between those two positions,” Zille noted.
Her statements showed clear cracks within the ruling party’s official opposition.
“I read Mmusi statement online and then realized that he thought the suspension was with immediate affect. I then went to the DA’s constitution and which shows that that decision was unconstitutional.”
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