DA could rue handling of De Lille

THE Democratic Alliance could very well rue its handling of former member and former City of Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille.

De Lille’s announcement that she was resigning and leaving the party did not come as a complete surprise, and she made no bones about the tumultuous relationship she had with the DA over the past few months.

But De Lille’s departure will leave the party with a vacuum it will find difficult to fill.

The former mayor has announced that she will take a two week break before announcing her next move.

Could she resurrect the Independent Democrats, a party that she decided to merge with the DA in 2010? Or could she join the EFF, the party that embraced her at a memorial service for Winnie-Madikizela Mandela?

The ANC would most certainly love to have De Lille in its fold if the party is to attempt to win over the Western Cape in next year’s elections. One thing is certain, the former Pan Africanist Congress leader is not going to go down without a fight.

Her request yesterday to the Western Cape High Court to review and set aside findings contained in the Bowman’s forensic investigation reports appears to be just the start of the fightback.

When it comes to her future political plans, De Lille is keeping her cards close to her chest.