DA leader, John Steenhuisen, DA’s federal finance chairperson and former minister Dion George and Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Willie Aucamp. Tensions are escalating in the DA after Aucamp lodged a complaint against George with the Public Protector’s office. The DA’s ongoing internal battles have exposed the party’s double standards, in which it has been accusing the ANC of using state resources in exchange for political support.
These are the views of a political analyst, Professor Ntsikelelo Breakfast, who said the party’s senior leaders are also using state machinery in their factional battles ahead of its elective conference next year. This follows tensions between senior leaders escalating to the point of a formal complaint being filed with the Public Protector’s office. This is after Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Willie Aucamp, lodged a complaint against his DA predecessor, Dr Dion George, alleging the misuse of state resources for a political smear operation.
He is requesting an investigation into the alleged misuse of state resources by his immediate predecessor and his former staff. Aucamp alleges the probe began when he assumed office and became aware of a baseless investigation into his private business affairs. This investigation, he claims, falsely sought to associate him with the lion breeding industry — an industry with which he states he has no connection.
Read Full Article on The Mercury
[paywall]
And he says it may have been politically motivated. Aucamp was appointed in November after the DA’s leader, John Steenhuisen, asked President Cyril Ramaphosa to remove George as Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment. Steenhuisen cited “underperformance” and “mismanagement” as the primary reasons for George’s removal.
George denied these claims, suggesting his removal was a retaliatory move after he, in his capacity as the DA’s federal finance chairperson, questioned Steenhuisen’s spending habits. He alleged that he had to revoke Steenhuisen’s access to a party-issued credit card due to irreconcilable personal expenses, including Uber Eats orders.
[/paywall]
