Kohler Barnard caused controversy last week when she shared a Facebook post from journalist Paul Kirk, praising former apartheid president PW Botha.

In the post he declared, "Please come back PW Botha - you were far more honest than any of these [African National Congress] rogues, and you provided a far better service to the public".

Kohler Barnard has since apologised for sharing the post.

At a DA protest outside Chancellor House on Thursday, DA leader Mmusi Maimane said Kohler Barnard would be given a chance at the disciplinary hearing to plead her case to the party top brass.

"That process will begin tomorrow... she is entitled to her own representation as the party is entitled to its own action," he said.

Shortly after the incident, Kohler Barnard said her sharing of the post without reading its full contents was stupid. She said she had missed the reference to PW Botha in the middle of the post when she shared it.

In a recent DA reshuffle, Kohler Barnard was removed from her position and is now deputy shadow minister of public works.

- News24.com