ANC Cape Town to lay complaint against Maimane, Breytenbach
18 January 2018
Cape Town - The ANC in Cape Town has resolved to lay a complaint against DA leader Mmusi Maimane and MP Glynnis Breytenbach, accusing the pair of unlawfully "interfering" in City of Cape Town matters.
Maimane and the DA's federal executive resolved on Sunday to formally charge and investigate Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille, based on a number of allegations of maladministration in the City.
An independent report conducted by Bowman Gilfillan Attorneys - commissioned by the City council - as well as a party probe headed by DA chief whip John Steenhuisen, were used as the basis for the resolution.
ANC Cape Town leader Xolani Sotashe on Thursday said the leak of "confidential" forensic City documents warranted an explanation and blurred the lines of separation of powers.
"Those reports are confidential information of the City of Cape Town. The question is, how did Mmusi get that information?" he asked News24.
"If you look how they handled the De Lille matter in the public domain, they were using some of the things in those reports.
"These guys are meddling with the affairs of the City, yet they are MPs at the national level. So we find their behaviour very strange and uncalled for."
The ANC caucus will approach the office of National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete, to ask that Maimane and Breytenbach explain themselves before Parliament's ethics committee.
This after the Cape Town City council declined to handle the matter at metro level.
"They have nothing to do with the City. It's an abuse of power from the political leadership of the DA. They can't do that. It's wrong."
'Absolute rubbish'
He also said Breytenbach had followed up with DA council members to get more information, as part of her duties as DA legal commission chairperson.
Breytenbach though, has labelled the accusations as "absolute rubbish".
"I used those documents for absolutely nothing," she told News24.
"I received them, I had an instruction, I carried it out, and that was it. If that's what they [the ANC] think they should be doing, they should go right ahead and do it."
Maimane could not be reached for comment on Thursday.
Water crisis, De Lille saga
The Cape Town City council is due to have a special sitting on Friday to discuss the proposed water levy to be introduced as Day Zero looms.
Sotashe said the ANC would steer clear of any internal battles, if any mooted moves to also strip De Lille of her powers came up during the sitting.
"We are not going to get involved in the DA's factional politics. Such things will be informed by political factions. The DA FedEx has already pronounced on what must happen in the City of Cape Town."
De Lille's executive and the DA leadership have differed on how to handle the drought crisis, in any case.
"She is at loggerheads with her party. It [the proposed levy] is a directive, it's not her own ruling, but a directive from the federal executive.
"They were reckless when it came to the water crisis. We told them they cannot punish voters."
De Lille held a press conference on Thursday, outlining a new plan to battle the drought. She also suggested the controversial levy will "most likely" be scrapped at the council meeting, following backlash from the public.
The DA had on Sunday asked De Lille to relinquish control over the City's response to the drought crisis, but the embattled mayor looks unlikely to go quietly.
The council will sit from 10:00.
