The Democratic Alliance (DA) has clapped back at an online publication which claimed there is widespread corruption within the Stellenbosch Municipality.
The article “Stellenbosch captured, facing serious financial risk” published on 27 March by The Cape Independent, alleged that former mayor Gesie van Deventer and a handful of political and administrative personnel had “captured” the municipality implying that corruption was at the order of the day with the institution. Along with various claims of corruption the publication made derogatory comments of individuals including current executive mayor Jeremy Fasser.
After the publication of the article Stellenbosch was abuzz with the allegations made, especially as the national municipal elections is set for later this year or in early 2027.
In reaction the DA said in a statement on 31 March that it initiated legal action against the online publication. The party, which governs Stellenbosch, said the article “fabricates an elaborate conspiracy theory against the DA in the Stellenbosch Municipality”. According to the DA no opportunity to comment was offered to the DA office-bearers named which included federal council chairperson Helen Zille, minister of home affairs Dr Leon Schreiber, MEC for local government in the Western Cape Anton Bredell, the former and current mayors of Stellenbosch, as well as local councillors
The article implicated that various DA members pulled strings within the town with DA big hitters like Schreiber, who is DA constituency head for Stellenbosch, being named. Among the inaccuracies the publication claimed was ties between the national minister and DA councillor, Rudi Buys. In its statement the party explained Buys is not, as suggested, a “close friend of Leon Schreiber” from his high school days, as Schreiber matriculated in 2006 for Paul Roos Gymnasium, while Buys matriculated in 1992 in Windhoek, Namibia.
On Monday (13 April) the party confirmed that The Cape Independent has retracted the article and offered a public apology to those named. “While the DA will always defend and protect free speech, including criticism of our party, we will also take action against misinformation and disinformation. Outfits that are members of the Press Council have issued many retractions and apologies over the years for failing to adhere to the press code, and similarly, we will consistently tackle online disinformation with the same vigour to protect the good name and reputation of our party,” the statement reads.
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On its blog the publication claims both the article and a preceding podcast episode, which went live the evening before the publication of the article, both contained “numerous factual inaccuracies”.
This prompted the publication, headed by Robert Duigan, to retract the podcast episode and article from its website. “We apologise for any offense caused and any unfair reputational damage any of the aforementioned content may have caused, and retract all aforementioned statements and characterisations,” the publication said on its website on Friday (10 April).
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