DA terminates Masizole Mnqasela's membership

28 November 2022 - 15:40
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Masizole Mnqasela has until 10am on Tuesday to reapply for DA membership. File photo.
Masizole Mnqasela has until 10am on Tuesday to reapply for DA membership. File photo.
Image: Supplied

The DA has terminated the party membership of Western Cape legislature speaker Masizole Mnqasela.

DA federal council chair Helen Zille said Mnqasela made disparaging remarks about the party and decisions of its structures at the weekend. 

“They [remarks] are in violation of the terms of the Cease & Desist letter sent to him by the federal executive,” Zille said.

Mnqasela has until 10am on Tuesday to reapply for DA membership.

Zille said the federal executive would meet at 10.30am to consider his reapplication for membership, should he wish to submit it.

Mnqasela held a press conference at his office on Sunday to address a motion of no confidence against him, which was filed by the party on Friday.

Independent Newspapers quoted him as saying it was strange, as the motion came while he was in a disciplinary process with the party, on the issues of fraud and corruption, which are addressed in the same motion.

IOL reported that after the motion was submitted on Friday, the DA said it had charged Mnqasela with misconduct and suspended him from all party activities. The report quoted Mnqasela as having said the legislature had not received any complaints against him, yet the DA motion, which cast aspersions on him, was worded as though there had been a decision by the legislature to remove him from office.  

The Sunday Times reported last month that the DA was planning to sponsor a motion of no confidence against Mnqasela and that the federal executive — its top decision-making body — gave the provincial leadership the go-ahead to do so after discussing the matter.

The action against Mnqasela arises from allegations of fraud or corruption over subsistence, travel and entertainment allowances he claimed. The allegations by whistle-blowers were reported to the Hawks for investigation by Western Cape premier Alan Winde.

“Apart from escalating the matter to the Hawks, the DA has also reported the matter to its federal legal commission for urgent investigation. The party will follow its internal disciplinary processes with deliberate speed to ensure accountability, while respecting Mr Mnqasela’s right to submit his defence in this matter,” the party said at the time.

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