Patricia de Lille to launch new ‘party of action’ ahead of elections

Former Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille has announced that she is not retiring anytime soon — in fact, she will be launching a new party to contest the 2019 general elections.

Although she said she would only name the party in two weeks’ time, she was certain that there would be no blue colours on the party’s branding.

De Lille, who resigned as mayor and also resigned from the DA last month, declared her intentions in Cape Town on Sunday.

De Lille said the DA had “used and abused” her.

“I am not on any chronic medication at my age. So colleagues, South Africans, I really have a lot of energy left. It is time for a new political party,” said De Lille. “I will be launching a new political party and will be contesting the 2019 elections in all nine provinces.”

De Lille’s relationship with the DA was marked by a number of legal skirmishes and mudslinging. At the briefing, she tore into her former party.

“I fought against the mighty apartheid regime. I fought against the powerful ANC elite when I exposed the corrupt arms deal. [But] the attack on my character, reputation and values by the DA cabal is nothing like I [have ever] experienced.

“The DA borrowed deeply from the apartheid tactics — sham investigations with predetermined outcomes, false criminal charges and forged documents.”

De Lille said the bad blood between her and the DA was motivated by malice and hate.

She did not reveal much about the new party, but said she had commissioned a survey that confirmed the electorate would support her move. At the moment, she said the party was just a movement. It had a website people could visit and find out more about its intentions.

“Our party will put people before politics,” she said. “We will be on the ground — not just sitting in parliament. Our party will build a better country for the next generations. We will look after families and educate to liberate. We will be a party of action — less talk and more action.”