The leader of the DA in the Eastern Cape legislature, Nqaba Bhanga, has been given 48 hours by the party to explain why he should not be suspended following his Facebook post calling the chairperson of the party's Federal Council, Helen Zille, a racist.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Eastern Cape has unanimously resolved to serve the DA leader in the Eastern Cape legislature, Nqaba Bhanga, with a notice of intention to suspend him from all party activities pending the outcome of an investigation into claims that he brought the party in disrepute, among other transgressions of the DA's standards of conduct for its members.

This comes after Bhanga posted on his Facebook account on Saturday that Helen Zille, was "the most racist person" and was working with the ANC against him. "Yesterday I learnt how she got information to try to destroy the ANC. I'm hurt to know that you were working with the ANC against me," the post read.

The DA's provincial leader in the Eastern Cape, Andrew Whitfield, said Bhanga would have 48 hours to respond in writing with reasons why he should not be suspended.

Whitfield said that based on the DA's constitution, which prohibits publicly using race or gender to cast aspersions on another DA member, they were compelled to serve him with a notice of intention to suspend him -- which Bhanga has accepted.

"At this stage, we are just extremely disappointed, and whatever personal issues...