Cape Town – Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Mainane has reshuffled his “shadow cabinet”, dropping, among others, controversial MP Dianne Kohler Barnard from the police portfolio.
Zakhele Mbhele will take over from Kohler Barnard, who hit the headlines this week over a twitter post she shared which seemed to urge the return of former apartheid-era president PW Botha.
Kohler Barnard will now be deputy public works minister under shadow minister Patricia Kopane, also a new appointment.
“Following a review of the DA’s strategic priorities, and a number of vacancies that have arisen, these changes to the shadow cabinet will be effected as of today [Saturday],” Maimane said in a statement.
Other new appointments include Gavin Davis (shadow basic education minister); Phumzile van Damme (communications); Annette Lovemore (public service and administration; and Bridget Masango (social development).
The twitter post by journalist Paul Kirk, that was shared by Kohler Barnard, read: “And so the new head of the Hawks – found to be without integrity and dishonest by the High Court – has suspended ace detective Johan Booysen over a typing error. This is a bloody circus. Please come back PW Botha – you were far more honest than any of these ANC rogues, and you provided a far better services to the public – we had a functioning education system, functioning health system, and the police did not murder miners on behalf of government toadies as they do now.”
Although Kohler Barnard has apologised for sharing the post, the DA has referred the case to their Federal Legal Commission, to institute disciplinary action against her.
ANA