Just days after the Democratic Alliance terminated the membership of former Ward 61 councillor Dolly Munien amid allegations of misconduct, Member of Parliament and Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson welcomed new members to the party in Trenance Park, Verulam, as the party steps up its campaign ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
Munien has defended her innocence, calling the party’s rapid decision a slap in the face and criticising the internal investigation process for a lack of independence.
Macpherson said the decision to terminate Munien followed an internal investigation into allegations of serious misconduct. He said: “The DA confirms that it terminated the membership of Dolly Munien after receiving credible evidence that alleged she had misappropriated Christmas vouchers provided by the municipality for senior citizens.
Furthermore, Munien had been found to be advancing the agenda of another political party while being a member of the DA. This evidence was tested by our disciplinary committee, which gave Munien the opportunity to respond and counter the evidence. She was unable to do so and found guilty of the charge.”
Responding to the allegations, Munien said: “The DA say they believe in fairness, opportunity and transparency. I wasn’t given the opportunity. They only listened to one side of the story and then terminated my membership, without even a written letter. I was notified via WhatsApp.”
Munien acknowledged allegations that she breached party principles by supporting a rival political organisation. She said: “Regarding the meeting with 1860NIC Congress. It was residents that called a meeting with ex-councillor Preggy Padayachee to discuss Eskom bills the residents were struggling with. I was addressing that issue; I don’t see how the DA can say I was with another political party when I was discussing bills affecting DA residents. As a ward councillor addressing community issues was part of my duties.”
She denied allegations that she misappropriated vouchers intended for senior citizens. Munien said: “They said I took the senior vouchers for myself, which is not true. They said I took vouchers by putting down names of deceased people. The issue was from 2024–2025; it would be fair to say people could have died between being issued the voucher and the inquiry being made.”
Munien has indicated that her legal representatives are in correspondence with the DA and that she intends to use affidavits to prove her innocence and formally contest the expulsion. She said: “These are just allegations; I have affidavits to prove my innocence.”
The termination brings an end to Munien’s position as Ward 61 councillor, a role she has held since 2016.
At Trenance Park, Macpherson was joined by deputy chairperson Sakhile Mngadi, North Durban Constituency Head Nicole Bollman, and DA eThekwini mayoral candidate Haniff Hoosen as they oversaw the acceptance of former members of other political groups who chose to join the DA.
