Zille joins dots in Western Cape cake fight

Western Cape Premier Helen Zille has joined a food fight raging among political leaders in the province.

She came out in support of the DA's provincial party leader and his surprise multi-layered‚ multi-coloured R3 000 birthday cake. It has emerged that the cake had been a gift from a contractor to Bonginkosi Madikizela. He had not declared it because he allegedly had no prior knowledge of the gift.

Meanwhile acting provincial ANC leader Khaya Magaxa said the DA always got away with murder when its scandals were exposed. He has called on state law enforcement agencies to investigate the allegations against Madikizela.

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 Magaxa was speaking after Zille penned a column on Monday in defence of Madikizela‚ who is also her close ally‚ claiming the cake debacle had been manufactured to discredit him before the party's conference in August.

But Magaxa implied that Madikizela may have known about his surprise birthday party and his expensive cake. “Madikizela was not dressed like (he was attending) a surprise party there‚ he was dressed in a white suit (and) bow tie‚ (as if he was) attending a lavish event‚” said Magaxa.

Magaxa claimed the saga was more than just about the cake as Madikizela had failed to declare the lavish party to the provincial legislature‚ as required by law. In a column‚ Zille brushed off the scandal as fake news.

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“Healthy scepticism is‚ therefore‚ a useful attitude with which to approach the many 'revelations' that make their way into the media as South Africa’s major political parties approach their congress season‚” wrote Zille.

Zille said Madikizela had confirmed claims that Pumla Zantsi‚ a partner in a construction firm doing business with the province‚ had provided the cake.

“Bonginkosi told me that he and Pumla were part of a mutually supportive friendship. They had been friends for 20 years‚ from the time they were both activists in Khayelitsha and long before he had even thought of joining the DA‚” added Zille.

She said she had investigated the matter and had also contacted people who contributed to the party.

“I followed all the leads open to me. And I am confident that‚ on the information available‚ there is no more to the story than that.”

She said she would pass on all the information she gathered to assist the Public Protectors' investigation.

“The one question I have not answered to my satisfaction is where‚ from inside the DA‚ this allegation came from in the first place‚” said Zille.