Half expect De Lille to jump ship to EFF
SO, Mayor Patricia de Lille has won her court battle – at ratepayers’ expense – to have an open ballot during the no-confidence motion.
De Lille has always been a controversial politician from her days in the PAC; opening the can of worms that was the arms deal; being the first woman to establish a political party, the Independent Democrats, to when she jumped ship to join the DA, at the urging of Premier Helen Zille.
As mayor, she has also tackled the cellphone companies about their high data rates. I do not recall if her campaign had any effect. I doubt it.
When she published her biography, she was found guilty of invading the right to privacy of three HIV-positive women when she named them. The women were each awarded R35 000 from De Lille, author Charlene Smith and New Africa Books, the publishers.
I really cannot comment on the allegations that she is corrupt, or that she is guilty of nepotism or any of the other charges the DA leadership is bringing against her. The courts will decide.
What I do know is that De Lille is an opportunistic politician, like most of our elected representatives.
It wouldn’t surprise me if, after all is done and dusted, she jumps ship again, to join Julius Malema’s band of rabble rousers, the EFF.
Why else why would she hire national chairperson and advocate, Dali Mpofu, to represent her in court?
Now the spokesperson for the DA has also resigned.
DA leader Mmusi Maimane should shoulder a lot of blame for the mess – and it is a political mess – in which the party finds itself.