IEC to probe DA, De Lille spat

‘Dirty’ tactics anger Good leader

PATRICIA de Lille and the DA are not waiting for May 9 to see who will be the voters’ favourite.

The two have laced up their boxing gloves and are squaring off over an alleged DA script being circulated across the country which says De Lille was “fired” from the party.

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) confirmed to Weekend Argus it received a complaint from the Good party regarding the canvass script.

IEC spokesperson Kate Bapela said the matter was referred to the Directorate of Electoral Offences on Thursday for investigation.

“A recommendation will be made to the chief electoral officer (Sy Mamabolo) after the investigation has been concluded on whether the DA has transgressed the Electoral Code of Conduct,” said Bapela.

De Lille told Weekend Argus she expected the DA to “run a dirty campaign” but still hoped the party would “leave me alone”.

“We fired Patricia de Lille because she was involved in all sorts of wrongdoing in the City of Cape Town.

“The DA doesn’t allow corruption, and we’ll take action against anyone, even our own members,” reads the wording on the script.

De Lille hit back, saying she was not fired by the DA but resigned from the party with effect from October 31, 2018.

“The DA attempted to ‘fire’ me but their conduct, in so doing, was found to be unlawful and was set aside by order of the Western Cape High Court. “I won three court cases in a row. “What reason would you have to be so dirty?” she added.

Now De Lille and the Good party have lodged an official complaint against the DA for being in breach of Section 89(2) of the Electoral Act and Section 9(1)(b) of the Electoral Code of Conduct.

De Lille said the script was brought to her attention on recent visits to the North West, Northern Cape and Gauteng.

But it was not only De Lille who was criticised, the script also included reasons why voters should not vote for “Cyril” and the EFF.

“These false statements by the DA are designed to damage my good name and to defame me.

“The script provided to their call centre agents and election agents publishes false and defamatory statements about me, and their intention is to influence the outcome of the election,” said De Lille.

DA spokesperson Solly Malatsi said their lawyers were dealing with the matter and would respond to the allegations when the IEC offers the party the opportunity to do so.

“She is making allegations which we will robustly respond to,” said Malatsi, who would not confirm the script belongs to the DA.

De Lille said the “intentional” and “continued” use of statements that the DA knows are “false” and “defamatory” and their refusal to cease and give a commitment to desist, inflicts “immeasurable damage” to her reputation.

“Clearly the script was intended to undermine my candidature and electoral prospects, as well as those of the Good movement in the 2019 national and provincial elections,” she said.

De Lille said if she had no joy with the IEC, her party will approach the Electoral Court directly or the Western Cape High Court.