De Lille will refuse to step down as DA top brass meets – report

As the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) most influential leaders meet today to decide whether suspended Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille should be axed, it’s being reported that De Lille will refuse to step down.

The Sunday Times reports that the embattled mayor will instead call for a mediation process to resolve tensions dividing the governing DA caucus in the City of Cape Town.

According to the report, sources close to De Lille apparently said she will argue that she has not been formally charged or subjected to a disciplinary hearing. De Lille will therefore argue that she has not had ample time to defend herself against allegations, among others, of maladministration, mismanagement and nepotism.

James Selfe, chair of the federal executive, the party’s highest decision-making body and disciplinary body, said on Friday the timing of the meeting had been decided on about 10 days ago.

This was before new allegations of maladministration against the mayor came to the fore from the city itself. Selfe said the executive would limit its deliberations to its own formal report – the Steenhuisen report – and De Lille’s submissions countering why she should not resign.

The report found that De Lille had failed to manage her caucus and that this had given rise to tensions in the structure.

Law firm Bowman Gilfillan conducted a separate independent investigation into maladministration and corruption.

De Lille reportedly wants a mediation process for all caucus members, monthly progress reports to the federal executive and as well as monthly monitoring of caucus meetings by Selfe and DA CEO Paul Boughey.

However, if her reasons why she shouldn’t resign don’t pass muster, then a disciplinary hearing could be on the cards.

– Additional reporting Denise Williams

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