Durban — A war of words has erupted between KZN DA chairperson Dean Macpherson and the party’s Ward 73 councillor Ronnie Pillay over why he left the party.
Pillay quit as both a DA member and its councillor in eThekwini last week citing the party’s failure to deal with the corruption he had reported to the party leadership.
He told the Daily News on Sunday that the DA provincial leadership particularly Macpherson as the chairperson failed to act against party councillors and staff in the Chatsworth constituency about corrupt activities.
But Macpherson hit back saying Pillay was not doing party work and he always sent sick notes.
Macpherson said Pillay never submitted evidence of corruption yet he made allegations without substantiating them.
“The facts are that Pillay was absent from his ward and party work for some time. He was submitting sick letters continuously saying he was too unwell to work and (gave that as) the reason for him not doing his ward duties, council work and party responsibilities. Pillay has never once submitted any evidence of corruption yet just made allegations without substantiating it,” said Macpherson.
Furthermore, he challenged the former councillor that if he was aware of the corruption, why did he not open criminal cases as required by law unless he was breaking the law himself?
“We suspect he is going to contest for another party and has been exposed as using sick notes as an excuse for not working,” said Macpherson.
Pillay also hit back calling Macpherson a “liar”.
“Dean is a liar who is making up this story, I have 20 members and can be proven. I could not open charges without informing the party which I did with Dean, I have the transcript of that hearing, you tell him he must not lie, and he threatened me, though, yes we have some cases open. Dean, you are making serious allegations of me and I will be taking you up for this, I have my staff and will tell the truth, even the branch election was fraudulently done. You need to prove my work suffered, I will prove you wrong,” said Pillay.
He said he was in a hospital for only a few days with other councillors and did not understand the party leaders would pick on him. He also lashed out at the provincial leadership for not providing offices for councillors for almost a year and a half and urged Macpherson to stop telling lies.
Pillay confirmed he would join a new party soon and he was considering requests from various parties.
Macpherson said he stood by his earlier words.
In a string of messages seen by the Daily News that he claimed to have sent to Macpherson asking him to intervene, it looked like he had exchanged physical blows with another DA councillor in Chatsworth which he said the party had failed to resolve.
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