Riyaz Patel
Under-fire DA leader Mmusi Maimane says he is preparing for a sustained onslaught from some within his own party’s leadership who are hankering for what he termed “the old DA.”
Maimane grabbed weekend headlines for all the wrong reasons, after a string of reports detailed controversies over his rented home and a donated car he was using.
On Sunday, Rapport revealed Maimane had driven around for months in a car donated to the DA by disgraced former Steinhoff CEO Markus Jooste after he indicated it would be returned.
That same day, Mike Waters, one of the DA’s three deputy federal chairpersons, demanded to see proof if Maimane was indeed paying his own rent at his R4m Claremont home in Cape Town, the Sunday Times reported.
The embattled DA leader described the revelations as a smear campaign by some Democratic Alliance members who are opposed to the direction he is charting for the party.
“People want to retain the DA as an organisation focused on the past. I wanted to bring diversity and sometimes when you bring diverse lists, some people are left out. Also, on the leadership battle in Parliament, you need a diverse group that represents all South Africans,” Maimane told EWN.
“The future of the DA is a much bigger issue, the future of non-racialism is a much bigger issue,” Maimane told News24, describing the furore and issues around his leadership as merely “sideline and small issues.”
“Of course, when people attack they tarnish your image, they attack your family and your integrity. It’s hard but to be honest with you, we’re not intimidated. We’re focused,” said Maimane, striking a defiant tone.
Maimane has also called for the party’s finance committee to probe the revelations.
The DA leader said if the party decided to hold an early elective conference, he would be ready.
“I want to be clear that I was open to an early conference. If you want to discuss the direction of the party, then you must be able to have a congress. At our last congress we agreed to freedom and diversity.”
