De Lille wins battle on disciplinary

MAYOR Patricia de Lille has forced the DA’s hand to have her disciplinary hearing open to the public and media, while avoiding a no-confidence motion.

After the no-confidence vote was withdrawn by the DA in council, De Lille said the disciplinary hearing would now take place next month – a welcome relief which she has demanded for months.

“I met the party leadership, including Mmusi Maimane, on Wednesday and agreed that there will be no more motions against me. We agreed that the best way forward is a disciplinary hearing,” she said.

One of the biggest victories for De Lille is that the hearings will be open to the public and media.

“This is what I’ve been calling for since all this started. I am positive that the councillors who do not want me here will be able to put their differences aside and work together. It is difficult at times working with those who want the motion, but we try and stay out of each other’s way and work together when it is needed,” she said.

ANC councillor Xolani Sotashe and African Christian Democratic Party councillor Grant Haskin welcomed the withdrawal of the motion against De Lille. “Finally some wisdom has been found in the DA,” Sotashe said.

Haskin said: “It’s almost a year since allegations first emerged. The people of Cape Town need to be put first always, and that’s not been the case during this very ugly and damaging spat,” he said.

The DA’s deputy federal council chairperson, Natasha Mazzone, confirmed that an agreement had been reached.

“Both parties have agreed to a speedy disciplinary process including a hearing that will take place over three days in August,” she said.

“In addition, the agreement makes space for the mayor to be held accountable in a fair and reasonable manner for findings of independent council-led investigations, such as the upcoming Bowman’s report into her conduct.

“Upon mayor De Lille’s insistence, the DA will appoint a federal legal commission panel, and the prosecution will be led by an independent senior prosecutor and will be open to the media. This agreement states that we will all strive to conclude the matter as soon as possible,” Mazzone said.

She added that the party leadership was working closely with the DA caucus, the City’s mayoral committee and functions of the City to ensure that service delivery was placed before the internal fights.

The no-confidence motion against De Lille was submitted by Marian Nieuwoudt, but the party forced her to withdraw it.

“I understand the party has started a process to address the matter and therefore I am withdrawing the motion,” Nieuwoudt said.

An ANC-sponsored motion of no confidence in speaker Dirk Smit failed after only 55 councillors voted in support of it.