The DA is investigating the source of an allegation that its Western Cape leader, Bonginkosi Madikizela plotted to assassinate the speaker of the province's legislature, Masizole Mnqasela.
Helen Zille, chair of the DA's federal council, told the Sunday Times she was made aware of the allegation by Madikizela last month.
Madikizela, who is also Western Cape MEC for transport & public works, and Mnqasela are expected to lock horns for the position of provincial leader at an elective congress next weekend.
The DA's federal legal commission (FLC) has been ordered by the party's leadership to hold another investigation into the allegation after an initial report was found to lack sufficient information to help the federal executive (Fedex) take a decision on the issue.
"Bonginkosi Madikizela made me aware of this allegation on 26th October 2020," said Zille.
"I immediately reported it to one of the presiding officers for the Western Cape congress, Dr Annelie Lotriet. Because the presiding officer did not have the locus standi or authority to establish the source of these allegations or their credibility, the matter was then referred to the DA's federal legal commission on 29th October 2020.
"The key question posed to the FLC was to seek to establish who the source of this information is, and whether there is any credibility to it."
Zille said the FLC's initial report only managed to confirm the whistleblower by nickname, but did not establish whether there was any credibility to the allegation.
She said the FLC's chair, advocate Glynis Breytenbach, had given her an undertaking that the FLC would submit its report by yesterday.
"I will then immediately take this report to the federal executive of the DA as well as to the presiding officers of the Western Cape congress. The Fedex will take a resolution on the basis of the FLC report, and the presiding officers will determine what the implications of the FLC report are for the congress.
"The DA regards this matter in the most serious possible light, and is addressing the matter with the necessary urgency and concentration," she said.
DA insiders told the Sunday Times this week that the plot had thickened when Mnqasela went to report the alleged murder plot by Madikizela to Brig Debbie Peterson, the provincial head of the South African Police Service's VIP protection unit.
Sources with intimate knowledge of the saga said Mnqasela apparently told Peterson of a whistleblower who had revealed to him that Madikizela had met known gangsters and handed them a bag full of cash as payment for his murder.
The sources said the alleged murder plot was also reported to Western Cape premier Alan Winde, who is said to have made inquiries within Madikizela's office and with him directly. Winde's spokesperson Bianca Capazorio confirmed that the premier was informed by Mnqasela of the alleged plot.
Madikizela had then filed an official complaint with the FLC after discussing the assassination allegation against him with Winde and Peterson, they said.
Mnqasela, who sources said had opted not to open a case with the police because he did not trust them due to their alleged links with gangsters, declined to comment on the matter.
Madikizela, for his part, has denied Mnqasela's allegation against him. He said it was designed to cast doubts in the minds of DA delegates about his credibility.
"I said to the party we can't go to a congress with this thing. Either Masizole must prove this or he must be punished for defaming me and lying about me in such a serious manner."
Sources said a DA Fedex meeting last weekend had resolved that the FLC should conduct another investigation into the matter as its initial probe did not find enough information to inform any decisions.
Those who were at the meeting said their difficulty was that Mnqasela had not reported the matter to the police so that a formal investigation could be launched.
"It is serious from both sides, it doesn't matter who it is," said one insider.
"Either one must justify the credibility of the information. What we have actually asked is that the people must come with some sort of terms to come out with the information.
"There is no ruling from our party on this matter, but it is very serious. You need to verify because you are dealing with two very senior people - you have got to be able to verify those matters.
"We have now asked [the FLC] to test the information."
Another insider said there was also a proposal to postpone the Western Cape congress until the allegations have been dealt with, but this was not supported as party leaders did not want the embarrassment of publicly disclosing the reason for the postponement.
He said leaders were also not happy that the identity of the whistleblower remained secret with no official investigation by law enforcement agencies.
"The problem is that he [Mnqasela] does not want to say who is the whistleblower. He says the whistleblower was present when this deal was hatched so he/she is afraid of coming out to confirm these allegations, because him and his family will be killed.
"The premier [in the report presented at Fedex] went and checked with Bonginkosi's staff to ascertain his whereabouts on the day the alleged plan was hatched, because the whistleblower did give Masizole the name of the hotel where the meeting is said to have taken place, to Alan Winde," said the insider.
He said Madikizela had sent messages to WhatsApp groups that he was being accused.
"The FLC investigation recommended mediation between the two, because the whistleblower is unknown and there is no evidence suggesting [Madikizela] was at that hotel, based on his car tracker and schedule."
Police spokesperson Vish Naidoo said the police could not divulge information regarding the personal information of individuals.
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