Cape Town - As former speaker Masizole Mnqasela’s application challenging the DA’s termination of his membership lands in the Western Cape High Court today, Premier Alan Winde has denied Mnqasela’s allegations that he suggested a cover-up of the allegations that led to his (Mnqasela’s) downfall.
In his affidavit to the court, Mnqasela made what he termed “damning revelations” that Winde, in his capacity as DA provincial legislature caucus leader, offered to suppress allegations made by whistle-blowers if Mnqasela agreed to step down as speaker in May.
Mnqasela said that Winde suggested that if he were to vacate the speaker’s post he could remain as an ordinary member of the provincial legislature, MPL.
The suggestion was made at the meeting during which Mnqasela learnt of protected disclosures by the whistle-blowers who alleged fraud and corruption relating to his subsistence, travel and entertainment allowance claims.
In his affidavit, Mnqasela said Winde told him that as premier he was expected to do something and that if Mnqasela stepped aside as speaker it would be “easier for the party to manage this … imagine if the media gets wind of this, it will be very bad for the party.”
Mnqasela said in the affidavit that he was “shocked” by Winde’s suggestion and responded saying if the allegations against him were that serious, Winde should have reported him to the Hawks to be investigated.
Mnqasela said his suggestion was that as the allegations against him pertained to the abuse of allowances from the legislature, the matter should be reported to the legislature whose conduct committee would conduct a formal investigation.
Responding to Mnqasela’s allegations, Winde, who has been cited as a respondent in Mnqasela’s case along with the speaker, deputy speaker and secretary to the legislature, said: “The allegations are an outright lie.”
Winde said that as caucus leader, he met with Mnqasela with three witnesses present, when he told him “of the very serious nature of the fraud allegations made against him.”
Winde said: “I told Mr Mnqasela that I must, by law, report the allegations to the SAPS, and that I would also report them to the party, which is what I did.”
On Tuesday night, Mnqasela released a copy of a letter dated May 20 which he wrote to Winde the day after their meeting.
In the letter Mnqasela wrote that he had requested a meeting with Winde only to arrive and be ”ambushed with a litany of accusations” at the meeting attended by DA MPs who are also members of the DA Federal Legal Commission – Glynnis Breytenbach, Michael Bagraim and DA interim provincial leader Tertuis Simmers.
In the letter Mnqasela said he had spoken to his lawyers and was entitled to a right of reply to all the allegations of wrongdoing levelled against him.
He asked for “all the available documentation” and for a week in which to prepare his defence.
mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za