Cape DA backs Zille in row over tweets

11 June 2017 - 02:00 By JAN-JAN JOUBERT and THABO MOKONE

Western Cape premier Helen Zille still enjoys the overwhelming backing of her caucus in the provincial legislature, even as her support among national DA leadership figures slipped further this week.It emerged on Friday that all but one member of the 26-member DA caucus in the Western Cape provincial legislature signed a letter declaring support for her.But the letter, which was due to be sent to the national leadership of the party, was withdrawn when it became clear that the party's national leadership was determined to proceed with Zille's suspension and the related disciplinary process.Ivan Meyer, the Western Cape finance MEC and one of three deputy federal chairs in the DA, was the only dissenting voice whodid not sign the letter.The overwhelming support Zille enjoys in her caucus means she would survive should the ANC act on its threat to table a motion of no confidence against her in the legislature.In a week of high drama, the DA proceeded with action against Zille over her tweets about colonialism after she once more turned down a settlement offer from the party.It is understood the party leadership offered to let her stay on as premier and withdraw the charges against her if she issued a public apology.She would also have to undertake to limit her public communications to provincial government issues unless there was agreement between her and the party on specific issues.It also emerged this week that DA leader Mmusi Maimane's hand in the federal executive had been strengthened.Of the 21 members who took part in a teleconference on Wednesday, 16 - including eight out of nine provincial leaders - voted that Zille be suspended from party activities.Mpumalanga leader James Masango, who was absent from a meeting of the federal executive last Saturday, lined up against Zille, as did Limpopo leader Jacques Smalle, who had initially supported her last week.The Western Cape's Bonginkosi Madikizela was the only provincial leader supporting Zille.Others backing her were deputy federal chairwoman Désirée van der Walt, Gauteng MPL Kate Lorimer, DA Women's Network leader Denise Robinson, and Cathy Labuschagne, DA leader in the National Council of Provinces.Zille was focused and resolute on Friday when she appeared for the first time before the party's federal legal commission disciplinary panel, accompanied by her lawyer Gert van der Linde.Coming out of the venue after just over an hour, Zille said she was happy with the meeting but that no contentious issues had yet been dealt with."I have a lot of information, but I am not at liberty to speak about it," she said.Federal legal commission chair Glynnis Breytenbach said the hearing had been "extremely cordial".She added that Zille was not asked to plead to the charges and did not raise any complaints about the process followed so far."This appearance was mainly about timelines. We agreed we would decide by Wednesday which information would be treated as confidential, that documents would be exchanged by June 23 and that the pre-trial conference will be concluded by June 30."Breytenbach refused to offer an estimate for how long it would take to conclude the process but said it was in everyone's interest that it be expedited.Zille tweeted in March that not everything about colonialism's legacy was bad...

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