Democratic Alliance MPL Helen Zille would take the place of DA deputy leader Hennie Bester as the party’s leader in the Western Cape legislature, the DA said on Wednesday after Bester announced his resignation.
”The DA caucus has elected Helen Zille as the new leader of the party in the Western Cape Provincial Council,” the DA said in a statement.
The party said it accepted deputy Western Cape leader Hennie Bester’s decision with regret and wished him well for the future. ”We agree with Hennie’s description of the current situation as one of ‘gutter politics’.
”However, we remain committed to stay(ing) in the political arena, strengthening the cause of democracy by building the opposition and securing the DA’s position as an alternative government.”
Bester is the DA leader in the provincial legislature and deputy leader in the province. His resignation will come into effect at the end of June.
Bester announced his decision on Wednesday afternoon, after the latest round of damaging revelations at the Desai Commission. The commission has been told by fugitive German businessman Jurgen Harksen that he (Harksen) donated more than a million rand to the DA.
On Wednesday morning a senior Absa official, Erik Marais, told the commission that he (Marais) processed a donation of DM90 000, given to the DA by an unnamed donor.
Bester told the commission last week that he once discussed with provincial DA leader Gerald Morkel and then-finance MEC Leon Markovitz whether the party should take money from Harksen.
Bester, who is a lawyer by training and served as provincial community safety MEC until the end of last year, said he had strongly opposed the idea.
He has consistently said he was unaware of any donations by Harksen to the party.
Meanwhile, Morkel said on Wednesday he had no intention of resigning.
His stand came after Bester, declared that Morkel was ”guardian of his own conscience and the master of his own fate”.
Morkel, who is also mayor of Cape Town, said through his representative Kylie Hatton that he would read the transcript of the testimony at the Desai commission before reacting to it.
Hatton said the mayor had no intention of quitting.
”He regrets the resignation of Hennie Bester; he was a great colleague and friend of his while at the province,” she said.
”And no, he won’t be resigning.” – Sapa