Outgoing Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Tony Leon on Monday dismissed as ”distorted and inaccurate” media reports alleging a plot against Cape Town Mayor Helen Zille.
Leon said he met on Monday morning with Zille and DA Western Cape leader Theuns Botha ”to discuss certain media reports, which suggest a group of party leaders in the Western Cape has been meeting with some of our coalition partners in an effort to undermine Ms Zille”.
”It seems these reports are distorted and inaccurate,” he said in a statement.
Everyone agreed it was necessary and appropriate to hold meetings with the DA’s coalition partners in the Western Cape and in the City of Cape Town to manage their co-governance of a number of municipalities across the province.
In the city, Zille conducted these meetings and in the rest of the province they were conducted under Botha’s leadership.
Both had done an outstanding job under very difficult circumstances over the past year, Leon said.
”Meetings with our coalition partners will therefore continue as per normal.
”This morning’s meeting was unanimous that our party in the Western Cape is united in its twin objectives of providing the municipalities of the province with exemplary government and of winning power at provincial level at the 2009 general election.
”This is our mission and we will fulfil it,” Leon said.
Rapport newspaper reported on Sunday that Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille and the DA’s provincial leadership were ”conspiring” against Zille.
”Botha and his cronies” were apparently also conducting an intense campaign to prevent Zille being elected DA leader next month, Rapport said. — Sapa