Mmusi Maimane

In 2023, the Western Cape High Court found statements by Maimane targeting four former DA councillors defamatory, having accused them of corruption and maladministration. The court awarded civil damages to the claimants totalling close to half a million rand, according to the judgment and contemporary reports.

Attribution

Directly implicated

In 2019, it emerged that Maimane had used a Toyota Fortuner provided to the DA by Markus Jooste before the Steinhoff scandal and that a rented residence had been declared in a manner suggesting he owned it. The revelations caused a credibility crisis.

Attribution

Directly implicated

Maimane resigned as DA leader in October 2019 following the party's electoral setback and an internal crisis over his strategy to broaden its black electorate in a party repeatedly accused of being dominated by white minority interests. His departure followed those of other black leaders and plunged the party into a leadership crisis.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Political responsibility

A visit by Maimane to Israel and the Palestinian territories in January 2017 sparked strong controversy, with critics arguing that the programme had been organised more on the Israeli side and departed from South Africa's traditional sympathy for the Palestinian cause.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Political responsibility

Maimane was examined by Parliament's ethics committee over contributions received for his internal campaign for DA leadership. An initial decision recommended a fine and reprimand for non-disclosure, but the Western Cape High Court overturned it on procedural grounds. On reconsideration, the committee considered the code too vague regarding internal campaign financing to conclude that there had been a disclosure breach.

Attribution

Directly implicated