My drought work goes on‚ says defiant De Lille

Patricia de Lille says she will keep leading Cape Town’s drought response even though the DA federal executive said she should relinquish the role.

Speaking to eNCA on Monday as she arrived for work at Cape Town Civic Centre‚ De Lille said that as executive mayor she had statutory duties to fulfil. Mayoral committee members such as Xanthea Limberg‚ whose portfolio is water‚ sanitation and informal settlements‚ were there only to advise the mayor‚ she said.

Wearing her mayoral chain over a red jacket and appearing buoyant and defiant after escaping the sack on Sunday‚ De Lille said her first job of the day would be to chair a meeting of officials working on the drought crisis.

DA leader Mmusi Maimane said on Sunday that the party’s federal executive‚ which spent the day discussing De Lille’s fate and decided to charge her rather than fire her‚ said the DA caucus in Cape Town would be instructed to pass a motion barring De Lille from spearheading the campaign to stave off “day zero”‚ when taps run dry.

The resolution would make Limberg and deputy mayor Ian Neilson responsible for control of the drought response‚ alongside officials.

De Lille told eNCA’s Annika Larsen she would be seeking clarity from federal executive chairman James Selfe on what was meant by Maimane’s comments.

She said she would gladly subject herself to the DA federal legal commission process announced by Maimane‚ which is due to take 60 days.

“I am committed to fighting to clear my name‚ and to going as far as I can legally‚” said De Lille.