Cape Town - Three former DA councillors from the Swellendam Municipality whose membership was terminated by DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille for not toeing the party line will challenge their expulsion in the Western Cape High Court today.
The three – former speaker Bongani Sonqwenqwe, deputy mayor Abraham Pokwas and councillor Gcobisa Mangcu-Qotyiwe – spent yesterday in consultation with their lawyers tweaking their affidavits, which they said call for their immediate reinstatement to both the DA and the council.
Accompanied by ousted Western Cape provincial legislature speaker Masizole Mnqasela, whose membership of the DA was terminated last year, the three said their quest to have their membership restored was driven by the belief that the termination was “arbitrary and unjust”.
Earlier this month, the three said they were axed for trying to improve the municipality’s employment equity by refusing to abide by a caucus decision to hold back on advertising for the appointment of a director for corporate services at the municipality.
However, Zille said they had violated the party’s key clauses and this had led to the cessation of their party membership.
On Tuesday, the DA said it was aware of the filing of the affidavits but when asked whether the DA would be defending itself in the action, DA spokesperson Richard Newton said: “Your question assumes the DA has something it needs to defend.”
Outside the high court, Mnqasela said: “These members of the DA love the organisation and want to get their membership and positions back. Helen Zille needs to know you can’t just get up and fire people. Her behaviour needs to be attended to.”
He said the termination of their membership was a betrayal of authority by Zille and a violation of their dignity.
The trio said they wanted the matter to be declared urgent as they were made aware in December that municipal manager Anneleen Vorster had declared their positions vacant to the IEC and they feared the next step would be a by-election.
They said they were afraid if they were replaced in a by-election and the court decided the matter in their favour, it would cause chaos in the council.
The trio are the latest black DA members to have their membership terminated in the province.
Mnqasela’s membership was terminated in November over allegations that he had breached the party’s rules.
He has separately approached the court on the basis that his membership termination was unlawful. His case is expected to come to the High Court later this year.
mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za