Madikizela, Mbombo resign, who is next?

DA SENIOR member Dr Nomafrench Mbombo became the latest to resign as Federal Leader of the DA Women's Network (DAWN) after Bonginkosi Madikizela quit as the Western Cape party leader and Transport and Public Works MEC.

While Mbombo would only confirm that she had resigned, Madikizela said he would not be talking to the media.

Madikizela was suspended two weeks ago by Premier Alan Winde. This was after it emerged that he had not completed the BCom degree in human resources listed on his CV, something Madikizela claimed was an error.

DA provincial chairperson, Jaco Londt said: “We wish to thank Bonginkosi for his service as party leader since his election to the position of DA Leader in the Western Cape in 2018. Bonginkosi served as the leader for more than three years.

“We respect his decision and the honourable route he has taken by stepping down as leader. We look forward to working with him as a colleague in the DA going forward,” Londt said.

Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz will remain the acting provincial leader until the Party elects an interim leader at the Provincial Council on May 29.

Premier Alan Winde said he believed that Madikizela's decision under the circumstances was the right and honourable thing to do.

“Madikizela tendered his resignation from the Western Cape cabinet, which I have accepted. Mr Madikizela has worked hard in both the Human Settlements and Transport & Public Works portfolios, and I wish to thank him for the valuable contribution he has made to delivering progress in our province over the years. Tertuis Simmers will continue to act as Minister of Transport and Public Works, in advance of a further statement I will make on my cabinet composition shortly,” Winde said.

Madikizela's problems began when he announced he would contest the mayoral position in the DA.

Other candidates include current mayor Dan Plato, and MP Geordin HillLewis.

Good Party secretary-general Brett Herron said the DA needed to conduct itself in a consistent manner so that those who faced allegations of false qualifications or were found to have misrepresented their qualifications or profession, were dealt with in the same way.

“We welcome the resignation of the member of the provincial cabinet. Members of the executive have an executive code and ethics that they need to be able to live by. He demonstrated that he was unable to occupy that position to the standard required and he lied to parliament about his qualification and it was the right thing for him to do to step down.

“Part of the trouble with the DA is that they dealt with three different cases in three different ways. Madikizela was suspended, Marius Koene was investigated but not suspended and Natasha Mazzone was neither investigated nor suspended,” said Herron.

ANC provincial leader Cameron Dugmore said the DA exerted pressure on Madikizela to resign, “in stark contrast to how they treat other DA leaders”.

“The statement by the DA was silent on whether they had requested Premier Alan Winde to remove the MEC from the provincial cabinet.

“The double standards are obvious. It's as if the DA, in the words of Tony Leon, are saying that the MEC was another ‘failed experiment'. The double standards of the DA have been exposed for all to see.”

EFF provincial spokesperson Wandile Kasibe called for action against Saldanha mayor Marius Koen who is alleged to have lied about his qualifications.

“We are not surprised by the double standards and anti-black racist position that the DA has taken,” he said.

Koen did not respond to questions by deadline.