Zille files responding papers in spy commission

Cape Town mayor Helen Zille has come out with guns blazing in her responding affidavit to Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool's allegations that she was involved in spying.

Zille filed her responding papers in the Cape High Court today. She wants the court to set aside the Erasmus Commission of Inquiry, which is probing spying allegations in the city. Zille has dismissed allegations by Rasool that she held regular meetings with George Fivaz and Associates, who probed whether councillor Badih Chaaban was bribing councillors to cross the floor.

Zille has reiterated that the Erasmus Commission is a political witch-hunt aimed at tainting the image of the Democratic Alliance ahead of next year's general elections. She has once again laid into the commission's chairperson, Judge Nathan Eramsus, questioning his impartially in the matter. Zille says Erasmus is a former member of the ANC.

Zille has denied that there was unlawful surveillance on councillors. She cited an interim report compiled by the commission, which concluded that there was no evidence of monitoring of councillors without the consent of one of them.

The legality of the commission is to be heard by the high court next week on Thursday and Friday.