DA conditionally lifts expulsion of MP Dianne Kohler-Barnard

The expulsion from the Democratic Alliance of MP Dianne Kohler-Barnard was conditionally lifted on Tuesday, the party said.

“She has to resign from all her elected positions in the party, except her seat in the National Assembly,” said Glynnis Breytenbach, chairperson of the DA’s Federal Legal Commission.

The decision by a five member panel of the party was made after they received a series of submissions in the appeal, which Kohler-Barnard launched after her membership of the party was terminated by the DA federal executive in October.

“The panel considered the submissions made by all the parties. They considered all evidence in mitigation, and all arguments in aggravation and came to the conclusion that the termination be suspended for rest of the sixth Parliament.”

In September, she shared a facebook post in which the author said public services were better under apartheid-era president PW Botha, a post which DA leaders described as “indefensible”.