Court rules in favour of De Lille
MAYOR Patricia de Lille scored her first victory against the DA when the Western Cape High court ruled that she be allowed back into the party’s City Council caucus when matters of governance of the city are discussed.
De Lille may be excluded from the caucus meetings should the Steenhuisen sub-committee matter be discussed.
This sub-committee, chaired by the DA’s parliamentary chief whip John Steenhuisen, investigated political tensions in the City DA caucus after several allegations in involving De Lille and, among others, JP Smith, mayoral committee member safety, security and social services.
In terms of the court order, De Lille can also be excluded from the meetings if the Bowman Gillifan report is discussed.
Melissa Whitehead, former transport and urban development commissioner, has already been suspended by the City Council.
She was involved in maladministration where the City lost about R36 million.
The court also ruled that caucus chairperson Suzette Little shall determine which matters can be discussed. If there is any disagreement with any caucus member, they will vote.
De Lille’s right to review any such decision in court is reserved.
Little shall inform De Lille of decisions taken during parts of the meeting where she is not allowed to be present.
In a letter to the DA ward councillors this week, De Lille said she was aware of the e-mail that has been issued by councillor Mercia Kleinsmith calling for the discussion of a no-confidence motion.
“The Federal Executive has reviewed their decision regarding my suspension from caucus and has advised that I will from now on be allowed to attend caucus when governance business and council agendas are discussed. I will therefore attend caucus on Wednesday (yesterday),” she said.
De Lille said Xanthea Limberg, Mayco member for water, sanitation and energy, advised her before last week’s council meeting that the drought charge would likely be dropped.
“That was the only feedback I got from the caucus. No decision with regards to the tariffs or any other decision was communicated to me, even though the caucus and the federal leaders who were present requested the deputy mayor to come to me to brief me on the caucus decisions,” she said.