De Lille rings Mayco changes
CITY ELECTS FOUR ‘MINI MAYORS’
MAYOR Patricia de Lille is set to ring changes to her mayoral committee with a view to bringing parity across greater Cape Town in terms of service delivery.
The Cape Times reliably learnt that the mayor was today set to rejig her senior management team and would also delegate some of her oversight to four “mini mayors”.
The mini mayors will be responsible for ensuring equitable service delivery to both wealthy and poor areas, liaising directly with mayoral committee members on issues of service delivery.
To ensure communities get exactly what they need, the city will also be employing the use of community liaison officers, who will act as the go-between in communities.
De Lille’s mayoral committee will also be reshuffled, with six streamlined portfolios.
Brett Herron continues in his role as head of the transport portfolio.
Former Mayco member for Environment, Energy and Spatial Planning Johan van der Merwe heads up the finance portfolio.
Former corporate services head Xanthea Limberg takes up her role as Mayco member for informal settlements, utilities and energy.
Stuart Diamond, the former finance portfolio committee chairperson, will be in charge of assets and facilities management.
Social services and security will be headed by JP Smith.
Raelene Smith will look after the corporate services portfolio.
The Cape Times can also reveal the four mini mayors are Suzette Little, Anda Ntsodo, Siya Mamkeli and Eddie Andrews.
It forms part of De Lille’s Organisational Development and Transformation Plan, which has been under discussion and consultation with all stakeholders, including unions and the sity manager, since 2015. The plan was approved by the council in August last year.
The plan is aimed at addressing apartheid-era spatial planning by ensuring all areas receive the same levels of service delivery in a transport-orientated development framework.
The newly appointed Mayco members, sub-council chairpersons, Section 79 committee chairpersons and the new executive management team were all set to be announced today.
But opposition parties yesterday said De Lille’s move was due to unease and divisions in the DA-led council.
ANC leader Xolani Sotashe said the ANC had been awaiting an official announcement after the city’s final council meeting of 2016.
“We do not know who she will be presenting to the people of Cape Town, all we know is there cannot be any further denying of factions within their structures.
“Redeployment of individuals and developments within the city is the order of the day under the DA.”
Sotashe said De Lille’s restructuring of her executive committee was merely an attempt to make “leadership arrangements”.
“They are fighting each other. We know for a while there has been friction between herself (De Lille) and (Premier Helen) Zille.
“We will wait and see who is presented to us tomorrow (Monday) and take it from there.”
He said the positioning of certain people would in all likelihood be carefully considered and strategic.
EFF provincial chairperson Bernard Joseph said they too questioned this reshuffling and had met with three DA councillors who were as in the dark as everyone else.
“This is quite clearly a smart move to align the executive council in a specific way as to appease certain interests.
“There is a bigger fight coming within the DA, we can see it coming, and we will wait and see this unfold in the coming months.”
Joseph said that if the city was honest in saying the reshuffling was due to “cost saving”, it would ensure funds were distributed within communities in dire need of basic services.
The ACDP’s national elections manager and former Cape Town deputy mayor Grant Haskin said the pending announcement had been delayed because De Lille was struggling to satisfy various divisions in her caucus.
“People within the party, with political views in contrast to the mayor have seen themselves marginalised within the party.
“This has been observed in various sub-councils, where, as long as you toe the line, you are safe or in line for a promotion.
“The ultimate end game is aimed towards the next national elections and ultimately the seat of premier.
“There is real uncertainty within our DA colleagues. They are nervous as the mayor is holding her cards close to her chest.”
They are fighting each other, we know there has been friction between De Lille and Helen Zille