DA zaps Zille with charge over tweets

Western Cape Premier Helen Zille faces the chop after the DA decided to charge her for her colonialism tweets.

The party's federal executive yesterday decided to charge Zille after it received a report on an investigation into her tweets, in which she said colonialism was not entirely bad.

Party leader Mmusi Maimane said that Zille had violated the DA's constitution by acting in a way that brought it into disrepute.

"The federal legal commission confirms that there is a case for Zille to answer. Therefore, the federal executive [of the party] has decided to proceed with disciplinary action."

• Zille to face the music over colonialism tweetsWestern Cape Premier Helen Zille will face disciplinary action after her party decided to charge her over her colonialism tweets. 

He said Zille would not be suspended as premier during her case, which is expected to start after a five-day notice period.

Maimane said that, although Zille's case was initially referred for investigation in respect of her tweets about colonialism last month, there had been further developments.

"The initial referral was supplemented on 22 March 2017 to include reference to a series of comments made publicly and on social media that have exacerbated and amplified the original tweet."

The DA will also investigate if Zille has breached other sections of the party's constitution. The charge is being pressed barely a week after Zille's colleagues in the Western Cape legislature defended her during a debate on her tweets.

During that debate, DA members gave her a standing ovation and Zille described her tweet as a statement of fact.

Asked why Zille had not been suspended, party federal chairman James Selfe said the DA suspended its members only if it believed they might interfere with an investigation. He said the DA believed she would not.

After the decision, Zille tweeted: "Whatever I hear from the DA, I will abide by due and fair process of the South African and DA constitutions and the rule of law."

On Saturday she tweeted a photograph of her newborn first grandchild.