DA has not offered de Lille mayoral position

The DA would like to clarify that we have not and will not offer to keep Patricia de Lille on as Mayor of the City of Cape Town.

We have offered to agree, in order to prevent any further unnecessary legal delays, that the IEC does not fill the vacancy until such time as the Review matter before the Western Cape High court, is finalised.

Ms De Lille wants to interdict the DA, the Municipal Manager and the IEC, pending the main review, on three matters:

1. Suspending the effect of the notice to the Municipal Manager that her membership has ceased;

2. Preventing the Municipal Manager from informing the IEC of the vacancy;

3. Preventing the IEC from filling the vacancy,

She also seeks a declaratory order by the Court on the constitutionality of the cessation clause in the DA Constitution in her review.

In the interest of a speedy resolution of the main review, the DA has notified Patricia de Lille that it will agree to an Order that the IEC not fill the vacancy that has now occurred pending the expedited hearing on a date to be determined by the Court.

Under no circumstances did we offer Ms De Lille the mayoral position back. The City of Cape Town is being led by Ian Neilson who is the Acting Mayor pending the finalisation of this matter.

The DA is determined to conclude this matter as speedily as possible in order to stabilise the Cape Town government and focus on delivery to the people that we serve.

Statement issued by Natasha Mazzone, Deputy Chairperson of Federal Council, 10 May 2018