DA in Cape Town calls for De Lille to be fired as mayor

10 January 2018 - 11:18 By Aphiwe Deklerk
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The Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille. File photo.
The Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille. File photo.
Image: Lerato Maduna/Gallo Images

The DA in Cape Town wants mayor Patricia de Lille sacked. In a statement posted on Facebook by the party’s Cape metro regional chairman‚ Grant Twigg‚ the party also rejected De Lille’s proposed drought levy.

In a statement posted on Facebook by the party’s Cape metro regional chairman‚ Grant Twigg‚ the party also rejected De Lille’s proposed drought levy.

“The DA prides itself in being a party that represents transparent and accountable governance. It is therefore important that our leaders represent us in this regard‚” said Twigg.

For the party to ensure that Cape Town remained a well-run city‚ it was important that its leadership retained the confidence of the DA caucus in the city council.

“[The] DA Cape metro executive have resolved to ... recommend to the DA Western Cape provincial executive committee‚ DA federal executive and the DA City of Cape Town caucus that Patricia de Lille be removed as the executive mayor‚” said Twigg.

He said the mayor had lost the confidence of the metro executive. “We are of the view that the City of Cape Town requires stability‚ unity and functionality — which we believe she cannot deliver.”

The party also wanted DA councillors to vote against the proposed drought levy‚ which has attracted 45‚000 public comments and will be discussed when the council meets on January 31.

De Lille wants a levy based on property values to pay for the water augmentation schemes the council is funding amid the city’s worst drought. She said on Tuesday that only 464‚216 households would pay the levy‚ and of them only 52‚510 will pay more than R150 a month. Most would pay less than R47.

But Twigg said the proposal was not viable and would create an undue burden on ratepayers. “We are of the opinion that the city should reprioritise its budget as well as actively and robustly engage the national government on the needs of the city‚ as water sourcing is their core competency‚” he said.

He had communicated the metro’s recommendations to the party leadership and wanted it to act swiftly in the best interests of the organisation.

The DA federal executive meets this weekend to discuss whether De Lille should be fired as mayor. Last Friday‚ De Lille submitted reasons why she should not be fired‚ in response to the findings of a DA inquiry.

“All public representatives are accountable to its party and voters‚ and as party leadership we need to ensure that all deployees are acting in the best interests of voters as well as the organisation‚ and not themselves‚” said Twigg.

The metro executive had not taken its decisions lightly but after careful consideration and deliberation. “The City of Cape Town is facing unprecedented obstacles currently and requires strong leadership to ensure we overcome them‚” he said.

“Politically‚ we believe these decisions are in the best interest of residents‚ who we believe should always be at the centre of our actions.”

De Lille also faces a City of Cape Town investigation for allegedly ordering the cover-up of serious allegations of misconduct against Cape Town transport commissioner Melissa Whitehead.

De Lille is under investigation for allegedly covering up claims of wrongdoing by Melissa Whitehead. Here is a brief overview.

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