Emma Powell resigns as DA spokesperson amid allegations of harassment

OUTGOING DA spokesperson on international relations’ Emma Powell has cited alleged threats, intimidation and harassment as among the reasons she resigned from the position.  

Powell's resignation comes after a controversial DA delegation trip to Washington, D.C. in March, which led to the dismissal of MP Andrew Whitfield as Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, by President Ramaphosa for not informing him. 

Powell later went on to claim that Mcebisi Jonas, who the president appointed as special envoy, was not welcome in the US, a statement the Presidency dismissed as disinformation and accused the DA of a “persistent campaign against South Africa’s national interest and its posture of trying to embarrass and belittle our country”. 

Her address at the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) was cut short when a group of people confronted her about her recent ‘fact-finding’ mission in Israel. Her silence on what she witnessed was said to have been the cause of the protest.

Powell on Monday took to social media to announce her resignation. 

“After careful reflection, I have taken the decision to step down as Spokesperson on International Relations for the Democratic Alliance (DA). Over the past two and a half years, I have travelled the world on behalf of my party, first as shadow minister and later as national spokesperson, speaking out against some of the most repressive and brutal regimes in the world.

“In defending South Africa’s constitutional values on the international stage, I have been threatened, intimidated, harassed, and illegally surveilled. Given the complexities of our fragile Government of National Unity, I have achieved what I can for and in this moment. I will continue to use my time in Parliament to serve our country and our cause.” It's not clear if any of the threats were reported to the police. 

The DA said Powell remained a valued member of the DA caucus in Parliament.

The party will soon announce her new Portfolio allocation.

“The DA welcomes our new DA Spokesperson on International Relations and Cooperation, Ryan Smith,” DA chief whip George Michalakis said. 

Approached for further comment on the matter, DA national spokesperson Willie Aucamp said Powell was not out at all. 

“We will not let the presidency or the ANC dictate to us who we must have in our portfolios, there wasn't any pressure from them to do so. We also did not dismiss her from her position, she decided individually, she decided based on the pressure, the threats.”

He said the party had given Powell their full support when treated unfairly. 

“If you look at what happened over the last couple of weeks, there was a lot of pressure on her, undue pressure. The Sowetan had a story, which alleged that there was a national intelligence report on her visit, those things are supposed to be confidential. We all saw the actions when Mcebisi Jonas revelations were made, those were all stuff Emma Powell put out there in the open. She said in her statement, she was under a lot of pressure.” 

Powell did not respond to further questions on her decision. 

Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) co-ordinator, professor Usuf Chikte said Powell’s resignation was long overdue. 

“Let’s be clear: Powell went on a sponsored propaganda trip to Israel, a state that the United Nations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and even South Africa’s own Human Sciences Research Council have all described as committing the crime of apartheid under international law, specifically, the 1973 Apartheid Convention and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Yet Powell publicly claimed Israel ‘does not practice apartheid.’ That is not just a political opinion, it’s a wilful denial of international legal findings.”

Cape Times