We're not in talks with De Lille but she's welcome‚ say ANC

The ANC says it's not enticing embattled politician Patricia de Lille to walk away from the DA but that she's welcome to join them.

This is according to the head of the ANC presidency‚ Zizi Kodwa‚ and the party's coordinator of its provincial elections campaign and former Western Cape Premier‚ Ebrahim Rasool.

They also said they wanted national government to place the city of Cape Town under administration‚ citing a governance and leadership collapse.

Kodwa was among other ANC leaders who addressed a press conference on Wednesday morning‚ following the DA's decision to fire De Lille as a DA member and by extension‚ as the executive mayor of Cape Town.

Responding to questions around speculations that De Lille's been holding secret talks with the ANC following a breakdown in her relationship with the DA‚ Kodwa said there's been no discussion between them and the beleaguered politician but stated that she was free to cross over to the ANC.

"The ANC does not entice‚ people join the ANC voluntarily because of the supremacy of its ideas and policies‚" said Kodwa.

"We won't entice anybody but of course she's an adult‚ she's got a right to join and make a choice politically whether she wants to join the ANC on the basis that whether ideologically and politically she can associate herself with the ANC.

"But we haven't as the ANC met and discussed with her that she must come to the ANC‚ she will make that decision voluntarily. If in the business of the pursuit of the objectives of the ANC she thinks that she has a role to play‚ of course everybody is welcome to join the ANC."

Rasool said as far as the ANC was concerned‚ De Lille remained the mayor of Cape Town because the city council has not elected a new mayor while the Independent Electoral Commission has not yet declared her seat vacant.

"They want to find a route to get rid of De Lille without referring it to council and key to that is the secret ballot. So it's not that we want to elect a new mayor‚ because there's a mayor in place. As far as we're concerned De Lille is the mayor of Cape Town until the IEC declares otherwise. If you want to get rid of the existing one‚ come there‚ put a secret ballot and cast a vote of no confidence and then we'll see‚" said Rasool.

The Western Cape ANC said they would petition the national government to place the city of Cape Town under administration‚ arguing it was in a state of governance and leadership crisis while it has failed to spend the more than R1.2-billion rand that had been set aside for crucial infrastructure projects.

The ANC leader in the Cape Town council‚ Xolani Sotashe‚ said they would also press criminal charges against DA leader Mmusi Maimane for being in confidential documents of the council while he was not a member.

Sotashe also said Maimane's direct involvement in the affairs of the city council was also evidence of a governance crisis warranting a take-over by national government.