/ 13 October 2012

Zille: No foul play or vote rigging at W Cape conference

An emotional Zille has told journalists that she will be offering a substantial reward to try and apprehend the criminals who shot two police officers in the Imizamo Yethu township in Hout Bay.
An emotional Zille has told journalists that she will be offering a substantial reward to try and apprehend the criminals who shot two police officers in the Imizamo Yethu township in Hout Bay.

During her speech to DA supporters at the party's Western Cape provincial conference on Saturday, Zille warned members that they must never become complacent because the DA governed the Western Cape, and must remember to serve the people.

This conference would see its party expanding its provincial executive to "become more inclusive", said Zille.

"Unlike the ANC Western Cape congress in February last year – that saw Marius Fransman and his allies outmanoeuvre Mcebisi Skwatsha through the usual dirty tricks  – here there will be no foul play or vote rigging today," she said.

"While our internal elections are hotly contested, and there is a lot of lobbying, they are also democratic, transparent, peaceful and positive.

"That is a huge achievement in itself. And this is why the DA in the Western Cape is stronger, more united, more diverse and more determined than ever before.  If anyone wants to compare the DA with the ANC, they need to look around them, right here, right now. The ANC in the Western Cape, as in the rest of the country, is at war with itself."

By lunchtime, voting had already taken place, and the counting had begun. The party will vote in a provincial leader, deputy leader, chairperson, three deputy chairs, four additional provincial executive committee members and a chair of finance.

Provincial social development and sport MEC Ivan Meyer is standing uncontested for the provincial leadership position.

Current Western Cape DA leader, health MEC Theuns Botha is the sole nominee for deputy provincial leader, as was local government MEC Anton Bredell for provincial chairperson.

Ten people are contesting the position of deputy chair.

Cop killings
Zille told supporters that a police officer was tragically shot dead and her colleague seriously injured in the sprawling Imizamo Yethu township in Hout Bay last night.

"The family will now have to make the call whether he is brain dead and whether they will switch off the machines or keep him alive," she told supporters.

Zille said these two police officers had been doing the visible policing that was so important to the community.

"What kind of society murders the very people that are there to protect them?" asked Zille.

During her recent trip to Britain she said the country had been in mourning for two police officers who had been shot dead.

"When three policemen die in one city in one week, we cannot carry on as normal. We can never allow that to happen," she said.

Zille was referring to the murder of senior superintendent Mpumelelo Xakekile, who was shot dead after he stopped a minibus taxi on the N2 in Cape Town this week.

An emotional Zille later told journalists that she would be offering a substantial reward to try to apprehend the people who shot the two police officers.