De Lille claims her new party is under attack by DA

FORMER DA mayor Patricia de Lille says her new political party Good and its supporters are constantly under attack by her former DA colleagues.

De Lille took a few people by surprise when she announced that she would be launching a new party. But she said it has been under attack by some DA members, including Bonteheuwel ward councillor Angus McKenzie, who worked closely with De Lille during her mayorship days.

“We just had this incident where the list of the leadership was distributed to make the point that the leadership is more coloured, that it is like a coloured cabal. That was on the Facebook page of a DA member, that Mckenzie guy. It was also distributed widely on WhatsApp to many of our members. The whole thing was generated by the DA,” said De Lille.

On Saturday, Good announced its interim national leadership committee comprising 36 leaders.

Former mayoral committee member Brett Herron will serve as secretary general, while the council’s former whip, Shaun August, has been chosen as national organiser.

Both resigned from the DA in support of De Lille when she resigned as Cape Town mayor in October.

McKenzie denied the alleged attack on De Lille’s party by himself or any member of the DA. He admitted to sharing the list, but said he just asked former colleagues whether the list was authentic.

De Lille, however, said ordinary members of her party have also found themselves “monitored” by some members of the DA while doing party work.

“I left the DA, they didn’t want me, but they are still continuing with these dehumanising campaigns to try to attack me,” said De Lille.

She denied allegations that her party was a “coloured” party, and said diversity was an important part of their social policy.

She said there were instances where the DA told her supporters in the Western Cape to not vote for her as she would “take the province away to govern with the ANC and the EFF”.

“Our people on the ground hear this all the time from the DA. Our response is that the DA is very hypocritical because they are governing with the EFF in Tshwane and Joburg,” she said.

DA leader in the Western Cape Bonginkosi Madikizela said his party was concerned with real issues, not with “small parties”.

“It is the responsibility of every political party to know what its opponents are doing. The DA is now busy with its election campaign, focusing on service delivery. We have no time to focus on small parties,” he said.