I am ready to fight DA moves as vigorously as ever before
IN FEBRUARY, I approached the Western Cape High Court to review and set aside the Steenhuisen report (case 797/18). The reason for this was that the report contained a number of findings and recommendations based on untested allegations.
Although I was given the opportunity to respond to these allegations, I was never given the evidence presented to the Steenhuisen subcommittee nor the source (identity of complainant) or context (time and place of my alleged conduct) of any of the allegations.
This made it very difficult for me to defend myself.
In the court application, I requested the DA to provide the full record of proceedings related to the Steenhuisen report, including the evidence and details referred to above.
The DA has refused to provide the full record, contending that it is not obliged to provide the documents because it was an internal, preliminary investigation by a private body.
The DA also claims that the evidence is “confidential”. This is difficult to understand because the DA constantly and publicly challenges me to deal with the findings of the Steenhuisen report and yet, in the court case, they wish to keep the evidence that the Steenhuisen committee considered a secret.
Be that as it may, given the stance of the DA, I then had to bring a separate application, which is called an interlocutory application, in order to compel the DA to provide the full record, including the evidence that Steenhuisen received.
In terms of the interlocutory application, the DA had to file their answering affidavit by June 18, but they only submitted it on Wednesday afternoon, (June 27). That was less than 24 hours before the matter had to be heard, and it was insufficient time for my lawyers to draft my reply thereto and for the judge to read the papers.
Unfortunately, because of this, the matter will have to be postponed to a later date. I will also have to be moved to the opposed roll to be argued.
With regard to yesterday’s outcome, I respect the right of the DA to appeal against the judgment of the full Bench of the high court. It also seems that the DA is going to pursue another motion of no confidence.
I am ready to fight both of these as vigorously as ever before. Patricia de Lille Executive mayor, City of Cape Town