The Democratic Alliance (DA) is set to initiate legal action against an online publication called “The Cape Independent,” which recently published an article littered with defamatory claims directed at various members of the party.
The article fabricates an elaborate conspiracy theory against the DA in Stellenbosch Municipality.
Should the publication fail to take the corrective action demanded, the DA will pursue the matter to the full extent under law.
No opportunity to comment was offered to the long list of DA office-bearers defamed in the article, including 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.
No evidence is offered to support its conspiracy theory. And it repeatedly states bald-faced lies as fact.
For example, the article makes racially-charged accusations against Mayor Jeremy Fasser, labelling him a “coloured candidate” and “a driving instructor” with “no meaningful understanding” of local government or finances, when he, in fact, ran a successful local business for 21 years and has served in local government for eight years across four different portfolios and as Deputy Mayor, prior to being elected as Mayor.
A further example comes from the claim that former Mayor Advocate Gesie van Deventer became Mayor of Stellenbosch in 2016 because of her “close allegiance” with Dr Leon Schreiber. In reality, they only met for the first time in 2019 when Schreiber became the DA constituency head.
Similarly, the article claims that a recently elected DA councillor, Rudi Buys, is a “close friend of Leon Schreiber” from his high school days. In reality, Minister Schreiber matriculated in 2006 and went to high school in Stellenbosch, while Councillor Buys matriculated in 1992 and went to high school in Windhoek, Namibia. They only met in person for the first time in 2025.
These are just a handful of examples from the long list of defamatory and untrue claims contained in the article. In the letter of demand, the DA will insist that all defamatory claims are fully and prominently retracted, failing which significant damages will be sought.
Under DA leadership, Stellenbosch Municipality has consistently ranked as one of the best-run municipalities in the country, ensuring clean audit outcomes and world-class service delivery for many years running.
Attempts to defame the DA will be met with consequences, as the DA will not be distracted from our ongoing work to serve all the residents of this municipality.