DA councillor quits, citing mayor’s actions

A VETERAN DA councillor has resigned, citing what she calls Mayor Patricia de Lille’s “nepotism, dictatorship” and a “toxic caucus environment”.

Carin Brynard, who was serving her third term as DA councillor, said she could not bear being a councillor anymore “because the party does not walk the talk”.

“As a Christian, I no longer feel like I can be in the party because I believe they’re not serving people.

“I really feel nepotism is the order of the day when it comes to former Independent Democrats (ID),” Brynard added.

“The DA in the City is an environment where councillors are forced into supporting the mayor’s choices in a lot of matters.

“They don’t have a say anymore,” Brynard said.

“They get intimidated like I was when I raised issues she did not agree with.”

De Lille’s spokesperson Zara Nicholson said: “This is absolute nonsense.

“After 10 years as a councillor she should know that the mayor does not deal with disciplinary matters, the federal legal commission does.”

Brynard also said the mayor placed former members of the now-defunct ID in strategic and “highly paying” positions, surrounding herself with former ID members, such as the DA chief whip in the metro council, Shaun August, sub-council and committee chairs and some members of the mayoral committee.

However, August denied De Lille had done him any favours.

Last year the DA suspended five ward councillors, including chairman Grant Twigg, after they refused to toe the party line – by refusing to vote for Goodwood councillor Clive Justus as chairman replacing Twigg.

Brynard, who chaired the safety and security directorate for nine years as councillor, added: “The Clive Justus incident was a very good example of how the city, under De Lille, handles things.

“Justus is a capable councillor, but he is not even from our area.

“That was power-play from the mayor.”

She said while councillors had been informed after municipal elections by the council caucus that Twigg would be retained as chairman, city officials gave an order to municipal manager Fred Monk that Justus needed to be voted in as the new chairman.

“And the reason, I think, Grant had to go was because he is outspoken; when things are wrong, he speaks out,” Brynard said.

Twigg, a former ID member, had a falling-out with the party before he joined the DA and Brynard believes “a vindictive” De Lille is out to get him.

PICTURE: BULELWA PALELE City councillor Carin Brynard resigned because of what she calls the mayor’s dictatorship.