Kohler Barnard kicked out of DA

The Democratic Alliance has decided to terminate MP Dianne Kohler Barnard's membership in the party, it announced on Friday night.

"They have decided to terminate her membership," the party's Federal Executive Chairperson James Selfe told News24.

Selfe said Kohler Barnard had the option of appealing the decision.

In September, Kohler-Barnard pleaded guilty to misconduct, bringing the party into disrepute and not abiding by the party’s social media policy. This after she shared a Facebook post from journalist Paul Kirk, praising former apartheid president PW Botha.

In the post Kirk declared: "Please come back PW Botha - you were far more honest than any of these [African National Congress] rogues, and you provided a far better service to the public".

Kohler-Barnard has since apologised for sharing the post.

Shortly thereafter, she said her sharing of the post without reading its full contents was "stupid".

She said she had missed the reference to PW Botha, which was in the middle of the post, when she shared it.

MPs shown the door

Juanita Terblanche also had her membership to the party terminated, national spokesperson Phumzile van Damme said.

The decision to terminate Terblance's membership was linked to the MP's misappropriation of party funds in the North West,  which is her constituency, Van Damme said.

"It's a matter that has been on-going since 2010. There have been successive appeals and today (Friday) the decision was made by the Federal Executive to terminate her membership."

Juanita Terblanche has the option to appeal the decision, she said. It was not immediately clear whether she  intended to.

The meeting began at 17:00 and ended around 21:00 on Friday. 

Source: News24