Dan Plato is among those tipped to become the next Chief Whip. Picture: Willem Law
Cape Town - Former Cape Town mayor and current member of the provincial parliament Dan Plato is among the three tipped to become the next chief whip.
The other two are Matlhodi Maseko, a former councillor in Cederberg Municipality and Maudelene Baartman from the Laingsburg area.
This is according to sources inside the party in the provincial legislature.
DA’s chief whip in the Western Cape legislature, Lorraine Botha, died last week. It is understood Botha had a heart attack in her office.
She joined the provincial parliament in 2014 and served as chairperson of the standing committees on local government, the premier and education over an eight-year period.
In January last year, Botha’s husband Johan Botha also died.
Maseko was reportedly close to Botha. She said no one has approached her for the chief whip position.
“I am not even in Cape Town, it would also be disrespectful to Lorraine if there were discussions already.”
She declined to comment further.
Plato, who had ambitions of becoming Cape Town mayor before losing out to Geordin Hill-Lewis, also said he had no knowledge of the developments. Plato returned to the provincial legislature in January to fill the vacant seat left by former MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela who stepped down after it was revealed that he falsified his qualifications.
“The premier is best placed to comment, I do not want to talk about this,” Plato said.
The person to be appointed is expected to play a crucial role in the legislature as the DA prepare for the national elections.
The DA’s leader in the province, Tertuis Simmers, said the position would be affirmed by the premier at the appropriate time.
“The premier will at the appropriate time make his pronouncement who he believes is fit for purpose. I support the premier fully as the provincial leader and we will rally behind that person because we are less than 19 months away from the national government elections.”
Simmers declined to confirm whether any names have been put forward.
Winde said the matter was still under consideration.