DA has probably shot itself in the foot in Western Cape

Will the DA lose the coloured vote in the Western Cape in next year’s elections because it has fired City of Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille?

Political analyst Zamikhaya Maseti, however, says she may not have as much political clout within the so-called coloured community as many believe.

“I think the DA’s main challenge is its commitment to clean governance. All the rumours of corruption, I don’t think it will be in a position to tolerate individuals who are tainted with that brush,” says Maseti.

“But in this instance, no court of law has pronounced a guilty verdict on De Lille and this is where it becomes tricky.

“It’s looking like the DA is settling scores without allowing processes to go through their due course. I doubt the DA could lose the Western Cape over this.

“In 1994, Allan Boesak was the premier candidate and chairperson of the ANC, and he was supposed to woo Western Cape voters in favour of the ANC. Then came April 27 and they voted for the National Party, so it’s not guaranteed in the Western Cape those from the coloured community will move with De Lille,” he added.

Thanking “thousands of people” for their messages of support over the past eight months that the DA has tried to shake her loose, De Lille said she would be in court on Friday, challenging her dismissal as DA member and mayor.

Political analyst Daniel Silke said a lot would depend on De Lille’s decisions around her political future, once the court case and other actions had ended.

“If she wishes to continue in public life and uses her name to mobilise against the DA in the Western Cape, by either joining the ANC or revitalising an old party, then I think there is a danger of significant support loss for the DA.

“If she withdraws from public life, the DA will need to recover from this and find a credible leader. And finding a high-profile replacement who is well received by the community, particularly the core DA support base, is going to be a challenge to the DA,” Silke said.

De Lille said yesterday the DA’s desperation had led it to “taking another short cut” to get rid of her before following due process.

“This morning at about 7.52am I was informed the DA’s federal executive has ruled that I lost my membership of the party and accordingly the position of mayor, because I said I intended to resign after clearing my name to a talk show host on April 26 this year,” De Lille said yesterday.

Her main focus was to clear her name and she didn’t elaborate on whether she was being courted by other political parties.

“There’s a lot of speculation and people have the right to speculate,” she said.

“I hug Cyril Ramaphosa at the jazz festival, ‘oh, she’s going to the ANC’; the next week I go to Mama Winnie’s memorial, ‘she’s going to the EFF’.

“I’m sure if I have coffee with Bantu Holomisa tomorrow I’m going to the UDM.”

– amandaw@citizen.co.za

Also read: Twitter has a field day with Patricia de Lille’s exit from the DA

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