Who will wear mayor’s chain?

CANDIDATES for Cape Town’s mayoral chain will be interviewed from Monday and the biggest task will be to unite a divided DA caucus characterised by public internal fights.

DA leader Bonginkosi Madikizela said six candidates had made the shortlist and would be interviewed by a panel of 20 members from the party structures. The candidates are DA Gauteng MPL Heinrich Volmink, Mayco member for urban development and transport Brett Herron, Community Safety MEC Dan Plato, Western Cape legislature speaker Sharna Fernandez, current deputy mayor Ian Neilson and relatively unknown city DA member Sumaya Taliep.

“What we want is a mayor who will heal the divisions in the caucus… to heal the problems, because it is no secret that we have a divided caucus in Cape Town,” Madikizela said.

On the selection panel are 10 members from the party’s federal executive, five from the provincial executive and five from the regional leadership.

“I will be part of that selection panel doing the interviews.

“We are looking for someone who understands the city and the challenges there,” Madikizela said.

“Someone who has no previous connection to the different factions in the caucus is also needed because that person has to unify the caucus.

“It is a fact that when a party has internal fights like we have had, then the residents will end up suffering,” he said. Soon after the DA’s Cape Town caucus lost confidence in mayor Patricia de Lille, a public spat between her and the party erupted.

It led to court battles, most of which De Lille won. In council meetings open to the public, several DA councillors including Grant Twigg, DA Cape Town chairperson, turned their backs while De Lille addressed the council.

The nasty fights ended in the DA clearing De Lille’s name by dropping all charges against her. She is to leave the position by October 31. Asked who the best candidate would be, Madikizela laughed. “That is an unfair question. I can’t answer that. I am doing the interviews, how can I be making pronouncements like that? I want the best candidate for the party and city,” Madikizela said.

“We want to get this process done, and have a candidate for Cape Town ready. We can’t wait or stall any more,” he said. Meanwhile the DA’s candidate for Western Cape premier will be announced this Sunday. Madikizela, Economic Opportunities MEC Alan Winde, DA MP David Maynier and DA member Fazloodien Abrahams are all in the running. Candidates for other provinces will be announced later in the week.