Cape Town needs fresh leaders, Maimane says
THE time has come for a fresh leadership team in Cape Town, the DA’s federal council believes.
This is according to DA leader Mmusi Maimane‚ speaking at a media briefing yesterday on the outcome of the federal council meeting held at the weekend.
Maimane said the federal council had discussed the matter of the imminent vote of no confidence in Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille‚ due to be held on Thursday.
The party wants to remove her as mayor, but this is a decision that only the council can take.
The DA’s federal legal commission is also investigating charges against De Lille that she violated the party’s constitution.
De Lille is seeking a court interdict to ensure that Thursday’s council vote is free‚ that it is by secret ballot and that the party’s federal and provincial leadership do not influence the process. DA federal executive chairman James Selfe said the DA caucus in the city had been assured that their vote was free.
With regard to a secret ballot, he said it was up to the city council to decide how voting should take place.
Maimane said it was important that the matter was settled so that the party could move on and its public representatives get down to the business of governing the city.
“The situation is unprecedented and painful to all in the DA.
“[But] the time has come for a fresh leadership team in the city to take that caucus forward and restore the faith of the public in what has been the crown jewel of DA governments until recently.
“The new leadership of the city will have to unite that caucus and focus on delivering excellent services and answering the many concerns of the public‚ so that we can deliver an even better result in 2019.”