De Lille exposes dark underbelly of party’s clean image
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OUSTED DA mayor Patricia De Lille has already won her fight with the party.
By its own admission, the DA conceded defeat this week when it claimed the dispute had caused “immeasurable damage” to its image.
It claims De Lille brought the party into disrepute. The reality, though, is that party leaders themselves are to blame for the damage caused.
They have moved from one disastrous spin to another in trying to justify their actions against De Lille whom they accuse of graft and maladministration in her role as Cape Town mayor.
Among other allegations, they claimed she failed to abide by the Municipal Finance Management Act and that she acted in an “abusive manner” when dealing with the Cape Town caucus.
But they failed to provide proof, relying instead on a mysterious report and investigation chaired, rather bizarrely and contrary to its claims of “independent findings”, by DA parliamentary chief whip John Steenhuisen.
De Lille has vowed to challenge the report and for a court to set it aside.
Despite calls for proof of the allegations, the party has not provided any further entrenching public perception that the charges against De Lille are dubious.
The party, known for branding itself as a “clean alternative” to a corrupt ANC has not handled the dispute with De Lille with the same finesse it often runs its electoral campaigns.
Instead, their actions have been desperate, shambolic, vindictive and hypocritical. Their self-praise and denials of internal rifts have not been convincing.
Following months of public statements around allegations of corruption levelled against De Lille, the party continues to issue public spin rather than prima facie proof of their allegations against her.
Instead, it dug a bigger hole when it went on to claim that the party would follow all due processes in its disciplinary action against De Lille – only to then do a sudden about-turn last week and proceed with revoking her party membership and her position as Cape Town mayor, before the disciplinary action could be completed.
The feeble reason given was that she had indicated her intention to resign during a radio interview. It went on to state that, in light of this, it would not proceed with its disciplinary action.
Of course, the public, and De Lille, were not buying it, and rightly so. The party has spent months levelling allegations against De Lille and now expected her to simply walk away without challenging the accusations.
If she did, it would have confirmed the party’s claims. Damned if she did, damned if she didn’t.
The party’s actions have been widely condemned, with social media erupting into a frenzy of comments, questioning the party’s decision and calling for proof of the allegations against De Lille.
Then, when it could not get any worse, De Lille embarrassed the party even further by revealing that she had been offered a three-month stay of her mayoral position pending the legal outcome of her dispute with the party – an offer she rejected, choosing instead to continue her court action challenging her dismissal as party member and Cape Town mayor.
The DA’S actions have further exposed a glaring hypocrisy of how it manages internal disputes.
Just last year, the DA announced its intentions to suspend the membership of its former leader, Helen Zille, following her comments inferring that colonialism had positive aspects.
However, the party was forced to retract its suspension after
Zille challenged their actions, claiming they had not given her an opportunity to submit reasons against this.
Now, exactly a year later, the DA is accused of the same action, just with a different member. It has chosen to revoke De Lille’s membership before completing its disciplinary action against her.
For a party which has, until now, carved a clean cut reputation and led hugely successful public relations campaigns in building its image, the DA’S handling of their spat with De Lille was their Waterloo moment, on an unprecedented level.
It has shattered their squeaky clean image, publicly exposed the party’s long suspected racial divisions and of course provided free ammunition to other parties – particularly the ANC.
Not even its charming, eloquent leader, Mmusi Maimane, could save it from the public backlash against it.
The timing could not be more fatal. This is meant to be the year of electioneering ahead of next year’s general elections.
Instead, its focus is now on regaining lost ground and public trust, particularly among black voters.
It’s not that many find De
Lille endearing or likeable as a mayor. She often comes across as obnoxious and cuts a crass public figure. Images of her wearing boxing gloves with her proudly claiming she was “ready for the next round” of her fight with the DA did little to improve this perception of her.
But her defiance has won her overwhelming public support because she is taking on a party no other member has dared to challenge.
Whisperings of internal wrangling and fear of questioning party leaders have long been known.
It’s well known within the media fraternity that many DA members freely speak off the record of their dissatisfaction at how the party is run, but few would dare say this publicly.
And so De Lille represents that voice of internal dissent. Fearless, loud, defiant, she has ruffled the party’s feathers like no other member has dared to do.
Throw in the fact that she is a woman of colour and you have what we are witnessing publicly today – the DA’S worst nightmare.
The dispute between De Lille and the DA does not prove her innocence against the allegations levelled against her. It simply exposes the party’s weakness and shatters their hard-earned image of unity.
What has irked many in the public is the perception that the party went on to introduce a recall clause in the midst of its spat with De Lille. Again, its actions unleashed public outrage and accusations that the clause was aimed at removing De Lille, despite the DA’S denial.
Whatever the legal outcome, the party has irrevocably damaged their reputation and must now count the cost of their dispute with De Lille. It’s going to get ugly. De Lille is not going down quietly – if at all.