OPINION

We didn't knife DKB

Nicole Graham responds to Helen Zille’s article on the deadly screenshot leak against the DA MP in 2015

Whilst it is always preferable not to drag internal party politics into the media, Helen Zille's politicsweb piece requires a response. 

For over a year, the story that a number of DA leaders in Kwa-Zulu Natal had conspired to bring down Dianne Kohler Barnard has been widely peddled. There has never been any evidence to show for this nor any right of reply for the people involved. The names are never mentioned in print, but are readily spoken of within party circles.

The truth is that three separate councillors sent complaints to the party leadership about Kohler Barnard's Facebook post. She had a public Facebook page at that time, and there were a number of different 'screengrabs' taken by different people. I know this because I later had sight of these as a witness in the matter. It is not true that no-one else knew about it prior to it being shared on Twitter, as Zille alleges. 

The only action I took was to lay a complaint, as the DA's Constitution prescribes.

Whilst the party was in the process of dealing with it, it became public. It was immediately assumed that one of the complainants had leaked it to the ANC as part of an elaborate vendetta. As far I was involved and am aware, this is simply not true. No evidence was ever produced or charges laid, but the story was widely circulated. Every attempt to address this story with those who told it has been unsuccessful, and it is now presented by Zille as an indisputable fact. 

Whilst many of us had differed with Kohler Barnard internally, the idea that we would deliberately damage the party in an attempt to sink her is astounding. We are committed members of the DA who care deeply for the party's fortunes. Why would we work so hard to undo our own efforts?

Many of the people implicated in this matter are the first ones to go out and defend the party when a scandal erupts. KZN Provincial Leader Zwakele Mncwango, mentioned by Zille in her piece, went onto uKhozi FM to defend the party to millions of upset listeners in light of her comments. This is hardly something any of us enjoy or delight in.

When I was charged for another media related issue last year, I repeatedly had to field calls from journalists who were told that it was about the Kohler Barnard issue. It had nothing to do with Dianne and related to my own caucus, but the truth didn't get in the way of a good story. This story was eventually even published, further implicating me for something that I simply did not do. 

I felt particularly compelled to respond to these allegations because there are broader issues at stake here. Accountability and responsibility are not always equally distributed within the DA, as is clearly illustrated by Zille's various responses. 

Those who have disagreed with Helen's problematic tweets at various stages have not been treated kindly for it. I e-mailed Helen in 2012 to outline what I believed were the issues with her 'refugee' tweets. My tone was considered and polite, but Zille wasn't having it. She instead implied I was swallowing ANC propaganda, that she was absolutely correct and that I should get my voice behind her. Many others have received similar responses. There was no introspection or consideration and there hasn't been for some time. 

The parallels between this and the Kohler Barnard matter, where a number of us were maligned to take the fall for someone else's conduct, cannot be ignored. 

Mmusi Maimane's strong leadership on this matter has finally given hope that fairness and accountability will prevail. Those who choose to air problematic views must be held accountable for them. It cannot be that every time someone is charged, their accusers or those they don't side with are blamed for their downfall. 

We all work hard enough- Dianne and Helen included- that no one person or group should be able to claim the moral high ground or consider themselves the sole custodians of the truth. The DA belongs to all of us.  

Nicole Graham is a DA Councillor & Deputy Leader in eThekwini Municipality.