- A Gauteng branch of the ANC gave Mpho Phalatse two days to apologise for calling it "corrupt".
- An ANC spokesperson said if Phalatse did not apologise, she could face possible legal action.
- John Steenhuisen said the DA welcomed any legal challenge, so that it could put the allegations to the test.
Mpho Phalatse has just a day left to apologise to the ANC for calling the party "corrupt".
On Thursday, the spokesperson for the Johannesburg ANC, Chris Vondo, said Phalatse had 48 hours to apologise for defaming the party or face possible legal action.
In response, Phalatse said: "I do not need a deadline of 48 hours to confirm what the entire nation already knows - the ANC is corrupt."
DA leader John Steenhuisen told the ANC: "Bring it on.
"The DA is eagerly counting down until the ANC launches its threatened legal action over the DA's accurate description of this party as corrupt."
On Friday, Vondo told News24 that, as a public servant, it wasn't correct for Phalatse to make accusations. He wanted to remind her of the claim, and that there were members of her coalition whose records were besmirched.
He referred News24 to a statement on 27 September, just before the motion of no confidence in Phalatse, which gave 20 allegations as reasons for why the former mayor had to go.
- Appointed an alleged criminal as the MMC of the environment and infrastructure department;
- Appointed an acting city manager accused of corruption and found guilty by the Public Protector; and
- Appointed an MMC who lied about his qualifications and was instructed to pay back the money.
The DA did not respond to the statement at the time, nor did the multiparty coalition.
Vondo said Phalatse should not have made the comment that the ANC was corrupt because it cast aspersions on all members.
"These allegations are damaging towards people... [what] if you are a child of a councillor and you go to school and hear your parent is corrupt... you can't do that.
"We understand that we are in a space where we contest ideas, but we can't [make statements like that].
"Now people could be afraid to stand to be elected to serve their communities because... [they are all painted with the same brush]."
Phalatse said: "We live with the effects of ANC corruption daily – rolling blackouts, collapsing water infrastructure, alarming unemployment, to name but a few examples.
"No citizen should have to apologise for stating a simple fact. ANC-sanctioned and actioned corruption has stolen billions of rand meant to improve the lives of South Africans for the better, not enrich an elite few. "From its policy of cadre deployment, Auditor-General reports, to six volumes of the Zondo Report, to an admittance by President Ramaphosa himself, the ANC is accused number one when it comes to corruption."
She said the party had told their lawyers to expect the ANC's papers - and "we are counting down the hours until the ANC affords South Africans the opportunity they deserve to see just how spectacularly the party has stolen from the country and its people".
In a press statement on Friday, Steenhuisen reiterated these sentiments.
"By our calculations, the ANC only has 27 hours left to file their threatened legal action. The clock is ticking. Our lawyers are awaiting service of legal papers."
He said that, as part of the legal case, the party "has already started preparing" to expose "every single instance and scheme of corruption perpetrated by the ANC over the past 30 years".
"The case presents a historic opportunity to confirm, before a court of law… the ANC is corrupt.
"So the DA says to the ANC: Bring it on!
"Either the ANC stands by its threat and launches legal action, in which case the DA is ready to expose reams of evidence proving that the ANC is corrupt.
"On the other hand, if the ANC backs down from their public threat, it will prove that this party is not only corrupt, but also home to craven cowards."
The DA will be in court on Wednesday to contest the motion of no confidence in Phalatse.