Phumzile van Damme on DA probe: 'Unfortunately this is the route that has been chosen'
The DA's communications spokesperson Phumzile van Damme says there is a possible internal probe against her for punching a “racist man” at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.
The MP said she learnt that the DA may be taking disciplinary action against her from the media.
Speaking to TimesLIVE, Van Damme said she had not received official correspondence from the party stating she had been charged, however, she was verbally informed.
“I was verbally informed that there will be an investigation to determine whether I should be charged. Unfortunately, this is the route that has been chosen,” she said.
According to the Afrikaans Sunday paper Rapport, the DA was investigating Van Damme for the altercation that took place in June, which saw her punching the man in the head, saying it was “self-defence”.
TimesLIVE reported that Van Damme said she was forced to punch the man after his family members kept on filming her.
The family has since denied the accusations, saying Van Damme was the one who followed and “insulted” them.
An unimpressed Van Damme took to Twitter following the news. In a series of tweets, she said the correspondence from fellow party member Ghaleb Cachalia, which was apparently leaked to the press, was “mighty interesting”.
I must now be disciplined as per correspondence by @GhalebCachalia which is quoted verbatim in the Rapport. That sure is mighty interesting.
— Phumzile Van Damme (@zilevandamme) August 25, 2019
Van Damme said she “will not be the sacrificed at the altar to appease some people and in the quest for votes”, adding that the article was nothing but a “factional mouthpiece in attacks” against her.
As an aside @waldimar as usual gets the facts completely wrong. I have NOT been charged. His paper has become nothing but a factional mouthpiece in attacks against me.
— Phumzile Van Damme (@zilevandamme) August 25, 2019
Added to that, she made it clear that she was more than willing to keep defending herself against any internal party charges, even if it makes her “sound like Jacob Zuma”.
To add: when the time is right, at the risk of sounding like Jacob Zuma, I will write about the year that has been 2019 in the DA. An annus horribilis. I know I am not alone in this. I have kept quiet in the hopes things will change for too long. Oh, and I am going nowhere.
— Phumzile Van Damme (@zilevandamme) August 25, 2019
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