De Lille set to face formal charges
Mayor’s ‘autocratic and divisive’ leadership approach an issue
CAPE Town mayor Patricia de Lille remains in her position, but has been stripped of some of her powers and will face a probe and formal charges, her party’s top brass have decided. She will no longer be leading the City’s drought plans, they decided.
This follows a DA federal executive’s meeting yesterday. The decision, announced by DA leader DA leader Mmusi Maimane followed months of serious claims and counterclaims, allegations of intimidation, criminality and misconduct exchanged between De Lille, the City’s safety chief JP Smith and some of the City’s senior staffers, Maimane said
The Fedex would recommend to the DA City caucus that Xanthea Limberg, mayco member for water and sanition, take the lead role in the water crisis.
Maimane also said the DA’s federal legal commission (FLC) will investigate charges against her and it is hoped that it will conclude within the next 60 days.
“We have determined that the FLC conclude their investigations expeditiously so that this matter can be brought to a resolution as soon as reasonably possible, whilst at all times respecting procedural fairness and the dictates of natural justice. The FLC will also look into the charges laid by the mayor against some of the councillors.”
Charges against De Lille include having deliberately acted in a way which impacted negatively on the image or performance of the party; failure to carry out her duties and responsibilities according to the DA’s standards, bringing the party’s name into disrepute, having acted in a manner unreasonable and detrimental to internal co-operation within the DA, and having unreasonably failed to comply with, or rejected decisions of the official formations of the party.
“These divisions were shown to have been a result of the mayor’s particular leadership style which is overwhelmingly viewed as unnecessarily autocratic, divisive and misaligned to democratic principles of openness and tolerance,” he said.
The DA also found that she acted in an improper and unlawful manner in respect of the reappointment of the City manager Achmat Ebrahim by unduly influencing members of the selection panel.
De Lille also acted in an improper way when she appointed Limia Essop to the Stadium Management Board by exercising her authority to finalise the shortlist of candidates to be interviewed in such a manner as to unduly benefit Essop.
“She also acted in an improper manner, alternatively failed to exercise her duties as mayor while displaying sound judgment by failing or refusing to ensure that the performance of the incumbent commissioner for the transport development authority of the City of Cape Town, Melissa Whitehead, and more specifically allegations of poor performance be properly investigated,” Maimane said, adding that De Lille also refused to work with JP Smith when an official party decision was taken to appoint him.
De Lille said she welcomed the decision which will finally give her a chance to set the record straight.
“I welcome the fact that the DA has taken the decision to formally charge me. It is disappointing that it took them so long… and that they are already stripping me of my powers, which they are not allowed to do in terms of my statutory duties before the disciplinary process has been concluded. All I was asking for was a fair chance to clear my name from the aspersions which were cast on my character. I have dedicated my life to fighting corruption,” she said.
A separate City of Cape Town investigation into allegations against De Lille, contained in a confidential report by Bowman Gilfillan Attorneys, is also due.