Supporters of embattled Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille claim they were bullied by provincial DA bosses into voting to strip her of powers to manage the city's water crisis.
Sources in the DA city council caucus said DA Western Cape leader Bonginkosi Madikizela threatened councillors with disciplinary action if they voted against the motion, which was passed on Friday.
According to the insiders, Madikizela made the threat during a closed caucus meeting on Wednesday at the Cape Town Civic Centre, where he was sent by national DA leader Mmusi Maimane.
Maimane confirmed he sent emissaries to address the DA caucus on plans to remove De Lille from city drought management.
This comes after the DA federal executive last week resolved to institute disciplinary proceedings against De Lille over allegations of maladministration and nepotism.
Madikizela yesterday confirmed briefing the DA Cape Town caucus with Thomas Walters, deputy chairman of the DA federal council. Hedenied threatening to take punitive action against any councillors, saying he was there "to instil discipline".
He said: "Some people have forgotten why they were elected. I was there in my capacity as the leader of the province to brief the members of the caucus on the decisions of the fed-ex and how we would like, as the leaders of the party, to see those decisions being implemented ... The fed-ex took a decision for us to have a permanent presence in that caucus given the challenges that we've experienced."
The city council put De Lille's deputy, Ian Neilson, in charge of the water crisis.
De Lille has claimed that the council did not follow due process in passing the resolution. She is said to be seriously considering a court challenge to the council resolution...