De Lille quits as mayor and as a member of the DA
The speculation on whether the mayor will be quitting as the leader of Cape Town has finally been cleared up.
Former Cape Town mayor Patricia De Lille appears in the Western Cape High Court to fight her expulsion from the DA, 5 June 2018. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane/African News Agency
Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille said on Wednesday that she has approached the court to have a Bowmans report that makes adverse findings against her set aside.
However, she undertook to vacate her office at 7pm today. She said she had not entered politics for positions and would continue to fight to clear her name despite no longer being mayor.
She also announced her resignation as a member of the DA, which she said was full of “stupid people” who had slandered her.
De Lille paid tribute to those who have supported her. Another two councillors resigned in solidarity with her, both as councillors and as party members.
She signed her resignation in full view of the media in front of the Western Cape High Court.
De Lille said she already filed her legal papers this morning.
She said the city was wasting millions in ratepayer funds in taking her on.
She pointed out that the same law firm had made contradictory findings against her in two separate reports.
De Lille once again slammed council speaker Dirk Smit for “lying” that she had resigned, since she had never sent him a formal resignation letter.
A version of a Bowmans report found De Lille liable for allegedly attempting to interfere with city manager Achmat Ebrahim’s duties. Another report cleared her. She accused Bowmans of “colluding with the DA”.
The outgoing mayor said she would take two weeks off to consider her future. She wants to spend more time with her family and look to finishing her book.
De Lille described her relationship with the DA as abusive. She however, thanked former DA leader Premier Helen Zille for having acted as an intermediary for her with the party and for being a politician with real struggle credentials.
She described the DA as leaderless and rudderless and enjoined Mmusi Maimane to take control of the party.
She said those in the party who were now speaking out against it were realising they had been “Uncle Toms”, but she thanked those who had also resigned for acting on principle since they would be losing their pay cheques.
Further resignations could be possible, she said, and she did not rule out whether she would revive her Independent Democrats party, which merged with the DA, or lend her support to another political party.
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