‘De Lille not behaving like member of DA’
WESTERN Cape DA leader Bonginkosi Madikizeka doubts beleaguered Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille is still a member of his party.
De Lille‚ who is entangled in an acrimonious public spat with the DA leadership‚ faces a motion of no confidence – brought by her own party – today.
The party accuses De Lille of a litany of things‚ including corruption and maladministration.
De Lille has accused the DA’s top echelons of bullying.
She will face the vote of no confidence emboldened by a high court ruling in her favour yesterday.
She approached the Cape Town High Court for an order instructing council speaker Dirk Smit to ensure councillors could vote with their conscience today.
This followed a tip-off that DA federal executive chairman James Selfe “was of the opinion that in terms of the DA’s constitution all caucus members are bound by the caucus decision [to support the motion of no confidence]‚ even those who did not vote for it”.
The DA has a two-thirds majority in the council.
Judge Robert Henney ruled yesterday that Smit must use his discretion to ensure councillors can vote with their conscience, and ordered that the DA must pay the costs of De Lille’s two counsel.
De Lille‚ 66‚ faces council‚ party and criminal investigations into alleged misconduct‚ and she has alleged that the DA wants to remove her as mayor so it can appoint Madikizela in her place.
This week De Lille told Times Select: “This is not about me. I want to make sure that councillors exercise their right to vote and that they do so without fear of intimidation, because there has been a lot of intimidation.”
Madikizela was puzzled by De Lille’s outspokenness. He said she disregarded the party’s internal process so much that he wondered if she was still a member of the DA.
“She continues to defy the party‚ that is why we are saying that we have lost confidence in her‚” he said.
“You might be unhappy but you must respect the internal processes.
“But her utterances are indicative of someone who is no longer a member of the party . . . For her to vilify and speak in the manner that she does about her own party‚ if she is still a member‚ is unacceptable and uncalled for.”
Madikizela dismissed speculation he would replace De Lille if she were ousted – he was too busy‚ as DA provincial leader‚ to be mayor.
De Lille said yesterday she felt vindicated by Henney’s ruling.
The motion to be debated by council was proposed by councillor Malusi Booi. It said the DA caucus in Cape Town had lost confidence in De Lille to lead the city as mayor.
“During the last year numerous events have happened that have caused harm to the good reputation of the City of Cape Town‚ and its record of good governance achieved over the last decade has been compromised.
“This council must act to recover its reputation of competent governance and financial integrity.” – TimesLIVE