De Lille wants voice heard
REQUEST: CAPE TOWN MAYOR WANTS MEDIA TO COVER DA HEARING
Party insists disciplinary procedures are not open to the public.
With Cape Town mayor Patricia De Lille’s disciplinary hearing beginning today, at the time of writing it remained undecided whether or not proceedings would be the open to the public.
This follows De Lille’s public request allowing for media to be present during the hearing into allegations of maladministration, misconduct and bringing the Democratic Alliance (DA) into disrepute.
“A key consideration in my disciplinary matter is, given the widespread coverage and public interest in the matter, whether public or the media will be allowed access to the hearing,” she said.
In her reasoning for allowing public proceedings, she further highlighted that DA MP Glynnis Breytenbach previously faced an open disciplinary hearing.
“The party, however, wants a closed hearing. Quite ironically, it is Glynnis Breytenbach, who fought for her own disciplinary hearing to be open when she was at the National Prosecuting Authority, who is heading the fight for a secret hearing,” said De Lille.
However, Breytenbach remained firm in her stance that holding public disciplinary hearings was not procedural.
“The hearing is no secret, it is simply not procedure to hold disciplinary hearings publicly,” she told The Citizen.
DA federal council chairperson James Selfe shared similar sentiments and said the hearing was an internal matter between the DA and De Lille.
He emphasised that disciplinary proceedings were generally not open to the public.
“It is an internal matter between a member and the party. Internal party disciplinary proceedings are not generally open to the public but De Lille may wish to make an argument for the media to attend. It is up to the panel to engage with the arguments and to then take a decision,” said Selfe.
As a committee assistant, Breytenbach said her actions to support the closed hearing were not personal but were instructed by the DA.
“It is obvious the views are those of the party, and it is therefore unfortunate and unbecoming of De Lille to personalise any issues relating to the matter,” Breytenbach said.