Text of Rabelani Dagada’s letter to Mr James Selfe, Chairperson of the Federal Executive, Democratic Alliance, 11 July 2018
Dear Mr Selfe,
SUBJECT: IMMEDIATE RESIGNATION FROM THE DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE (DA)
After careful consideration, I have decided to resign as a DA member with immediate effect. The Party’s handling of unlawful disciplinary procedure which has been instituted against me is an indication that the DA is impartial in this matter, unreasonable, and hell-bent on destroying my political career. It is in this premise that I have no choice but to immediately terminate my membership of the DA and move on.
It is interesting to note that the DA only started to institute disciplinary hearing against me after I wrote to the Speaker of the Council, Cllr Vasco da Gama, demanding to appear before the Council Ethics Committee, and after I issued a statement on the 27th February 2018 reiterating this.
After the Executive Mayor, Cllr Herman Mashaba, removed me from the Mayoral Committee on the 15th January 2018, he issued a statement in which he accused me of corruption, nepotism, price fixing, and victimisation of some City officials. I am now in possession of the final investigation report. Quite significant, it does not contain findings which support any of the accusations made by the Executive Mayor against me. There are also no findings that assert that I acted favourably towards individuals, officials, and service providers closely associated with me, as claimed by Cllr Mashaba.
On my above mentioned statement, I challenged Cllr Mashaba to publicly name and shame the individuals and companies he claims benefited from my corrupt activities. The Executive Mayor has not yet done so, and I can assure you that he will not take up this challenge because such individuals, officials, and service providers reportedly closely associated with me, as he stated, do not exist. The only person mentioned in a final forensic investigation report is Dr Seth Mukwevho and his company, Radongo (Pty) Ltd.
It is important to state that the forensic investigation neither found nor concluded that I had influenced the appointment of Dr Mukwevho nor his company – Radongo, as the allegation maintains. Of course, the aforesaid final report makes some disturbing and unfounded insinuations about perceptions towards me. I have thus instructed my lawyers to launch an application with the High Court seeking an order reviewing and setting aside the final forensic investigation report. Moreover, at an appropriate time – I will sue Cllr Mashaba for defamation and damages.
I have also noted that your charge sheet against me does not contain any allegation related to corruption, maladministration, and nepotism. As you are aware, three charges are about bringing the Party in disrepute while one charge is for my alleged approach to the Economic Freedom Fighters to seek protection from being dismissed from the Mayoral Committee. I hereby make it very clear that I am not guilty for any of the four charges, and that I have strong defence to these charges.
I am resigning from the DA without admitting guilty and with a clear conscience. I cannot continue subject myself to a political witch-hunt. The unsubstantial allegations relied upon to remove me from the Mayoral Committee were contrived in a well-calculated stratagem to terminate my political role in the City of Johannesburg and to abruptly end my political career within the DA.
In a desperate move to achieve the above-mentioned stratagem, the bounds of proper, lawful, and ethical conduct were exceeded as manifested in inter alia the so-called investigation. It is a matter of record that numerous unsuccessful attempts were, on several occasions, made to remove me as the MMC for Finance in the City of Johannesburg. These attempts failed because there was not an iota of evidence pointing to any wrongdoing on my part. This led to clandestine, crooked and mala fide methods being employed to manufacture evidence of alleged wrongdoing against me.
Although our parting of ways is not amicable, I think it would be proper for me to recognise all the responsibilities bestowed upon me during my short stint (of just over seven years) as a DA member. These include serving in the Johannesburg Regional Executive Committee, Gauteng Provincial Executive Committee, and the Federal Council. Of course I was humbled that the DA enabled my election as PR Councillor twice, and MMC for Finance. This spoke volumes about the trust placed in me by the DA.
I close by stating categorically that my resignation was not voluntary but necessitated by the circumstances I find myself in. I sincerely cannot continue to partake in what is evidently a political which-hunt that is motivated by bad faith.
As for me, I will continue to serve our people before I join our family business fulltime when I turn 66, and thus I still have 18 more years in public service wherein I will channel my energy in fighting three evils tormenting our people – poverty, inequality, and unemployment.
Yours in the service of humanity,
(Transmitted electronically)
……………………………………......................
Dr. Rabelani Dagada, PhD
DA Member and Public Representative
Cc: Mr John Moodey MPL – DA Gauteng Provincial Leader
Dr Heinrich Volmink – DA Johannesburg Region Chairperson
