The African National Congress (ANC) has poured cold water on Democratic Alliance (DA) hopes that it will support the DA in a motion of no confidence in Western Cape premier Marthinus van Schalkwyk.
ANC Western Cape leader Ebrahim Rasool said on Wednesday that Helen Zille, the DA’s leader in the provincial legislature, was ”misguided” if she thought the ANC would vote with the DA on such a motion.
Media reports quoted Zille as saying she would at the first opportunity move a motion of no confidence in the premier, and that under the circumstances she was sure the ANC would lend its support.
The DA has called on Van Schalkwyk, who is also leader of the New National Party (NNP), to stand down as premier pending an investigation into corruption allegations against two top NNP members.
It claims the premier knew about a R300 000 donation from the developers of the Roodefontein golf estate, near Plettenberg Bay.
Van Schalkwyk has asked Deputy Social Development Minister David Malatsi to resign his national government post and has suspended former Western Cape premier Peter Marais and Malatsi from NNP activities, pending an investigation by the public protector.
He told journalists on Tuesday that Malatsi, then provincial environment MEC, pushed through approval of the development after Count Ricardo Agusta, the owner of the land, had wired the donation to the party.
This apparently followed a meeting between Malatsi, Marais and the developers.
According to media reports, Agusta is an associate of alleged mafioso Vito Palazzolo, whose son, Robert von Palace Kolbatshenko, owns the development company involved in the proposed golf estate.
Marais has since claimed that the NNP leader was aware the donation had been made. Rasool said Van Schalkwyk had handled the issue in a transparent and thorough manner.
”Far from what the DA would want us to believe, we are satisfied with the way in which the premier handled the matter of the Plettenberg Bay golf estate development.”
He said the ANC did not believe that the DA had the moral authority to call for the resignation of the premier, as they were ”probably the most scandal-ridden party in this province”.
”This matter is being dealt with by the premier and the NNP and will not affect governance and service delivery in the province,” Rasool said. – Sapa