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Powell claimed harassment, threats and intimidation as having influenced her decision.
DA’s former shadow minister for international relations Emma Louise Powell. Picture: X
The DA has appointed MP Ryan Smith as its new international relations spokesperson following the resignation of Emma Powell.
Powell stepped down from her role on Monday
‘Threats’
In a statement posted on her X account, Powell claims harassment, threats and intimidation had influenced her decision to resign as international relations spokesperson
“As a woman in politics, I understand viscerally the cost of standing up to bullies and the pressures that come with public life. In an environment that rewards expediency, truly principled leadership is rare and often costly.
“I remain thankful to the leadership of the DA for the trust you placed in me to fly South Africa’s flag on the international stage.
“I will continue to use my time in Parliament to serve our country and our cause, and to empower others, especially young women, with the tools and support they need to lead with bravery and moral clarity,” Powell said.
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Spied upon
Powell’s resignation comes just a week after explosive allegations that she has been spied upon by State Security.
The claims were contained in an article by The Sowetan, which reported that a confidential document containing allegations had been submitted to the National Security Council chaired by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
According to the article, Powell, during her trip to the US, undermined SA’s “international relations and domestic policy narratives” by spreading disinformation that “contributed to the negative perceptions” of SA’s foreign policy.
Clashes
Powell, known for clashing with the ANC over foreign policy, ruffled feathers recently when she claimed Ramaphosa’s special envoy to the US, Mcebisi Jonas, has been denied a US visa.
“In an extraordinary turn of events, the DA can reveal that President Cyril Ramaphosa has, for months, been fully aware that his ‘Special Envoy’ is not welcome in Washington D.C.
“The US government has formally rejected Jonas’s credentials and has informed the Presidency that he would not be recognised as South Africa’s official interlocutor,” Powell claimed.
Ramaphosa’s office subsequently cautioned South Africans against treating the DA’s “disinformation on matters of international relations and diplomacy” as official government policy.
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said the DA is seeking to add “sensationalism to its claim”.
‘Regimes’
In her statement, Powell said over the past two and a half years, she had travelled the world on behalf of the DA, first as Shadow Minister and later as National spokesperson, speaking out against some of the “most repressive and brutal regimes in the world.”
“Many of these regimes are more closely enmeshed with government leaders and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) than the public realises.
“In defending South Africa’s constitutional values on the international stage, I have been threatened, intimidated, harassed, and illegally surveilled. Driven by my commitment to the DA’s foundational principles, I accepted these risks as the unavoidable cost of standing up to and exposing DIRCO and the ANC’s relationships with authoritarian regimes,” Powell said.
Powell said she will continue to use her time in parliament to serve the country.
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