Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Fans launch drive to save De Lille from ousting
DESPITE losing a motion of no confidence vote earlier this week, embattled Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille received the backing of loyal DA supporters yesterday.
Following the DA caucus vote, the mayor’s supporters launched a new campaign to save her from being booted from her position.
The motion of no confidence was brought by ward councillor Angus McKenzie after the DA changed its constitution to expedite the recall of its public representatives – popularly known as the “De Lille Clause”.
Following the loss, De Lille, while donning a pair of boxing gloves in her office, was adamant that this was simply “Round 1” and that she would keep fighting for “fairness”.
“The Stop The DA From Ousting Patricia de Lille As Mayor” campaign was started by Pastor Louis Michael Green of Kraaifontein, and the online petition has already garnered signatures from 1 521 supporters.
Slogans like “thank you Aunty Pat for taking on the DA bullies in the ‘liberal white boys club’” and “Aunty Pat is our champion boxer” can be seen all over the campaign page on website change.org.
The site purports to help people around the world to start campaigns, mobilise supporters, and work with decision-makers to drive solutions.
“You are giving them the run-around and they cannot cope with you. We love the symbolism of the boxing gloves.
“That is the real Aunty Pat that we know and came to love for more than 24 years,” said Green in a group newsletter.
He vowed that regardless of what happened with De Lille, Capetonians would continue to support her.
“The DA wrongly assumes that the loss of a few Western Cape voters in the 2019 elections is a small price to pay. But there is a big political shock waiting for them. The longer this thing drags out, the greater the political haemorrhage for the 2019 elections,” said Green.
He reminded supporters and opponents of the mayor that she was elected until 2021 and that she did “not need an early
Thank you, aunty,
white boys club
retirement. We are all human and we make mistakes, but this does not give the DA the right to remove you. They have a political agenda to replace you before 2019 because they have promised your job to another DA bigwig who promised them the black vote in the 2019 elec- tions. Never mind the coloured vote of the Western Cape; they will sell us out like most politicians have done,” Green said.
The campaign newsletter ends off with: “Aunty Pat, we love your analogy in your struggle against the DA Bullies; you said: ‘It is like a boxing match; you may win a round or lose a round, but we must watch out for the knockout’. Keep on fighting, Aunty Pat.”
Another supporter, Grame Roland, wrote: “Long enough have us as the coloured community stood back and allowed the white bullies of the DA (to) do as they want with us. Let’s support Aunty Patty for what she stands for, integrity, honesty and ethical leadership.
“White people want the black votes but they are forgetting a coloured vote that unites (sic) will be a force to be reckoned with. Let’s take this further and arrange a march against the white bullies of the DA.”
DA federal executive member Natasha Mazzone said the federal executive was working on resolving the matter “as soon as possible”.
“The Fedex will have a meeting on May 4 and 5. I can’t give you an exact date when the decision will be made but it will be soon,” said Mazzone.
She accused De Lille of failing in her duties as Cape Town mayor and with dealing with the water crisis. The mayor slammed Mazzone’s comments.
“When the DA removed me from managing the water crisis in the province, they failed to give me a single reason why I was removed. They are now claiming credit for the work that I have done when I was managing the water crisis,” said De Lille.
“I said during that time that we cannot build desalination plants as they are expensive.
“They wanted these to be built. They also suggested tariff hikes, which I am fighting to be reduced. They want higher tariffs when there is R2.3 billion that has not been spent,” she said.