Update

KNYSNA POLITICAL NEWS - Former DA councillor Lorraine Opperman has called the DA a racist party after an altercation between herself and the Democratic Alliance over the manner in which she was expelled from the party. 

Opperman was booted from the DA in February after she voted with the ANC, Cope and KUC coalition on a motion by the DA during a council meeting. The party claimed that she had not responded timeously to a 24-hour ultimatum to explain why she should not be expelled. 

However, Opperman said she was at a funeral when she was handed the notice and did not have enough time to respond. The next day was her washing day.

In response to Opperman's claim last week, DA Knysna Constituency Head Dion George said that she had had ample time to respond. George said the letter was handed to Opperman on Saturday morning outside her home as she was on her way to the funeral and the fact that she had 24 hours to respond was explained and emphasised.

This week Opperman, who has since become an ANC candidate for the Ward 11 by-elections on 21 April, refuted the DA's version of events and told KPH that the DA treated her, as a black councillor, differently from the way it treated former DA councillors Mark Willemse and Peter Myers. 

She called the DA a racist party and said George should get his facts straight about the funeral.

"They called me from a funeral and I had to leave the funeral and go to see councillors Luzuko Tyoko, Hilton Stroebel and Michelle Wasserman. Not even a criminal is arrested at a funeral. They treated me badly and humiliated me in front of mourners," she said. 

Opperman asked why, if the police can allow a suspect to attend a funeral and arrest them after the funeral, they could not wait until the funeral was over to deliver the notice. 

"The DA did not follow protocol. They underestimated me because I am a coloured lady and they will never do that to a white person," she said.

Opperman said the funeral was at house 1382 and the DA councillors parked near house 1383. "I came from the funeral to attend to them, my house number is 1385. I still maintain that they did not explain the letter to me and did not show me where to read," she said.

In response to this, George said Opperman has no idea of the processes followed with Mark Willemse.

"It was complex and involved lengthy litigation. Peter Myers resigned from the party and was not dismissed. Opperman voted with the ANC against the DA and is now their candidate. She was dismissed for her dishonesty and untrustworthiness," he said.