Analyst hints at prospects of De Lille reviving dissolved party

THERE was a possibility that former City of Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille could re-establish her former party, the Independent Democrats, which was dissolved after a merger with the DA in 2010.

“There is a possibility to re-form the Independent Democrats. You can judge by people who left the City of Cape Town metro that she still has a constituency and it is still intact,” political analyst Somadoda Fikeni said.

“It could have a knock-on effect on the DA. Remember that Patricia is promising to write a book.

“She will make her voice heard on the matter and that puts the DA on the back foot, more so if she starts releasing some of the things that are happening within the DA, which contradict the principles it says it stands for.”

Fikeni made the comments following weekend reports hinting at the possible new party to be formed by De Lille.

Yesterday, Independent Media quoted the DA’s former chief whip in the City of Cape Town Shaun August as saying he and other De Lille supporters were weighing several options, one of which could be a new political party.

De Lille resigned as mayor and DA member last week after she filed an application to have two Bowmans Gilfillan law firm reports reviewed and set aside.

She has promised to announce her political future in two weeks’ time after taking a short break and consulting her family.

Fikeni said the prospects of establishing a party was not a hustle.

“We have an electoral threshold for one parliamentary seat where you will always have small parties because their chances of winning something is always there even if it is a seat for the leader or secretary.”

He said anyone could form a political party not because there is a singular contribution to make or they are distinctive. “It is because this is an easy way of social mobility.”

Fikeni, however said the Bowman report posed a difficulty for De Lille.

“There is no doubt that there is a cloud linked to the Bowman report and eyes will be trained on the processes of trying to discover whether it has validity or not.

“In the meantime, her reputation is damaged so it is for that reason that it is in her interests to allow for investigation and processes to go ahead.”

Bowman released two reports after investigations into the affairs of the City of Cape Town.

One report implicated De Lille in irregularities while another cleared her of wrongdoing.

De Lille questioned why the legal firm released two reports that reached different conclusions.

“I am determined as ever to clear my name,” she said when she filed court papers last week.

De Lille has scored some court victories against the DA while fighting internal battles.

Fikeni said it was more likely that the former mayor would beat the drum of victimhood.