Tensions rise in DA over candidates

TENSIONS are mounting in the DA as the party starts finalising its candidate lists, and some party members realise they may lose their jobs and incomes as town and metro councillors.

The influence of the Freemasons and an alleged plot to sideline former members of Patricia de Lille’s Independent Democrats (ID) are the main concerns bugging DA members before voting time.

The DA released its candidates list for Nelson Mandela Bay last week amid claims by some of its councillors that they had been sidelined and replaced with younger, inexperienced candidates aligned to the party’s leadership.

DA federal executive chairman James Selfe said he called it “nominitis” – an affliction of the jitters candidates get at nomination time, when they blame their possible failure on plots to sideline them and those they identify with.

The DA is abuzz with rumours that the Freemasons have a hand in compiling the DA candidate lists in Tshwane, and that ID members, notably Eden district municipality mayor Wessie van der Westhuizen, may be sidelined in the Western Cape.

Regarding Van der Westhuizen, who was beaten to the Oudtshoorn DA mayoral candidate position by teacher Colin Sylvester, allegations that the leadership had conspired against Van der Westhuizen were denied by DA eastern region leader Jaco Londt. “It is untrue,” Londt said. But sources have claimed that a disciplinary hearing against Van der Westhuizen over alleged payment of ANC councillors who crossed the floor to the DA was being used to keep him out of Oudtshoorn job.

In Tshwane (Pretoria), it is alleged that Freemasons are banding together to keep non-Freemasons out of council positions.

DA MP Brandon Topham, a Freemason and former DA Tshwane mayoral candidate, has rubbished the claims.

There were only about 30 DA public representatives nationwide who were Freemasons, Topham said.

He also said that many masons had applied unsuccessfully in Tshwane to be candidates, and anyone who was unhappy could appeal and the nominations could not be manipulated.

“The Freemasons are not a secret society,” Topham said.

“It is true that women are not admitted to be masons, but it is more out of tradition and respect for family.

“Anyone can be invited to become a Freemason, if he does not have a criminal record and has not been sequestrated.”

“The basic idea is of charitable work and friendship.”

Selfe said the problem at nomination time was the same as when someone’s mother had told them they could sing beautifully, but then they did not make it into Idols.

“In politics, it is best to get up when you feel dejected, dust yourself off and try again,” the DA veteran said.

Prospective party candidates had to pass through several rounds of interviews, written tests and marks given for political activity on an PDMS system before they could be nominated.

Selfe said about 7 000 prospective candidates were still in the running, and about 120 appeals were being processed.

About the perceived purging of former ID members out of senior positions in the Western Cape, De Lille said no special deal was arranged to accommodate or alienate former ID members in the DA.

“We are all DA, not former this or that. Everyone has to compete on merit through the process,” De Lille said.

The DA is holding back the candidate lists of the 23 Western Cape councils which it controls because of a public ANC campaign to entice disgruntled DA councillors to support ANC-proposed council budgets.