Zille has kept her distance: iLIVE

06 February 2013 - 02:19
By Mmusi Maimane, DA national spokesman, by e-mail
ONE DAY: DA leader Helen Zille wants party funding to be transparent - but not yet
Image: SIMPHIWE NKWALI ONE DAY: DA leader Helen Zille wants party funding to be transparent - but not yet

The letter "Zille's fine dinner with the Guptas sticks in my craw" ( February 4) contained some factual inaccuracies that require correcting.

Helen Zille has never done any favours for the Guptas or anyone who donates to the party. When we were offered a donation by Stephen Nel in 2008, there was no reason to suspect that his employers (the Guptas) were questionable in any way. Their mutually beneficial relationship with President Jacob Zuma only became known in 2010, and since then we have refused to take any money from the Guptas, their employees or their companies.

The real issue here is the R64.6-million the government has paid the New Age in sponsorships, advertising and other transfers in the last two years. That is what needs to be investigated.