DE LILLE HITS BACK AT DA FOR MOVES TO OUST HER
Mayor says her party is contravening its own procedures
EMBATTLED Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille has again slammed attempts by her party – the DA – to have her voted out, as a serious mockery of the values that it stands for.
This was after the ANC came to De Lille’s rescue following the withdrawal of its planned motion of no-confidence, which would have seen her booted out of office.
The DA’s federal executive council has endorsed moves by some of the party’s disgruntled councillors to remove De Lille. But the party’s councillors are divided on the issue and would have required votes from the ANC to have her axed.
De Lille said the allegations – which an internal party report is based on – remain untested, and thus any attempt to remove her based on the allegations was baseless and contravened the party processes.
“It seems that every other day there is another manoeuvre to undermine these processes and get rid of me, before testing the allegations against me and giving me a fair chance to respond to the allegations.
“It begs the question of how much confidence the DA has in their charges against me,” De Lille remarked.
Western Cape DA leader Bonginkosi Madikizela told The Star that the two investigations under way – the Bowman attorneys investigation and the political investigation of the party’s federal executive council – were “a drop in the ocean” compared to what had triggered the moves to have De Lille ousted.
De Lille has been implicated in a scandal over the covering up of tender irregularities within the City of Cape Town’s transport directorate for which its head, Melissa Whitehead, has been suspended. The scandal had also forced the resignation of the city manager, Achmat Ebrahim.
Madikizela, a close ally of Western Cape Premier Helen Zille, said De Lille’s caucus took the decision as they were angry with her for going against a decision “collectively taken” to oppose the drought levy.
Late last year‚ De Lille’s administration tabled a proposal in the council for a drought levy on the rates bills, based on property values.
Madikizela added that the DA caucus could convene a special meeting to decide on the motion, rather than have it debated at an open council meeting.
During the meeting, De Lille said she was notified via a WhatsApp message that there was a memo circulating in the chamber, asking councillors to sign a request for a “special sitting” within 10 days.
ANC councillor Charlotte Heynes announced to the council that her party was withdrawing its motion, citing that it would not allow the DA to hijack its motion of no-confidence (in De Lille).
The ANC said the DA must take collective responsibility over the water crisis and corruption in the city and not punish just one person.
It would also ask that national government place the City of Cape Town under administration for failing to deliver on its constitutional obligations.
Madikizela accused the ANC of “petty politics”.