DA's so called agreement with Cape Town Mayor De Lille is mind-boggling 

31 July 2018

The ANC has noted the reports about the so called agreement between DA and the Mayor of Cape Town, Patricia De Lille.

After failing to convene a disciplinary process, and after using every trick in the book, including changing their constitution in order to fire De Lille (despite saying they would not apply those amendments retrospectively), the DA has now taken its most bizarre and mind-boggling decision. Promote De Lille to the provincial legislature. They have decided that despite all the accusations they have laid against De Lille, including laying a criminal case against her at a police station, De Lille actually deserves a promotion. 

In January this year, Mmusi Maimane, Leader of the highest decision making body of the Democratic Alliance, the Federal Executive, (or is that James Selfe's position, its all so confusing), lets just say Leader of the Democratic Alliance, went on national television to list charges the Party was making against the Mayor of Cape Town . Among these were that De Lille acted improperly in reappointing then city manager Achmat Ebrahim, acted improperly in the appointment of Limia Essop to the Stadium Management Board and covered up for corruption by  Melissa Whitehead, in relation to payments in the aggregate amount of R43 801 807.06 made to Volvo for 29 bus chassis. Then In February, James Selfe further confirmed to have laid criminal charges against De Lille for  an “unsolicited affidavit” from a businessman in Johannesburg who made allegations of bribery against the mayor. 

The DA effectively accused De Lille of massive corruption and subverting of municipal processes. Since then the DA has not changed their position but has unsurprisingly had no appetite to actually prove these accusations in an open and transparent manner. The accusations against De Lille are serious. Corruption fuels inequality and poverty, and is the major cause for failures of development and of governments. This makes accusations against De Lille very consequential.

What is clearly however is that the DA possesses no credible evidence of any of these allegations but are driven by their irrational desire to remove De Lille as Mayor.

As the ANC we have always said that the whole circus around De Lille is simply about getting rid of her, for she is a stumbling block to patronage of the DA's old white establishment who have clearly been in a quid pro quo arrangement with their funders and De Lille is standing in their way. Whatever corruption they may discover or invent against De Lille, the real corruption here is that of the Democratic Alliance. DA's behavior is indeed raising a lot of alarm bells for the country.

As the ANC we will fight the obvious coup d'etat by DA's white cabal and although the Mayor may be exhausted fighting the entire establishment, she must no allow them to embezzle the City by putting their own puppeteer in her place. 

Issued by Faiez Jacobs, Provincial Secretary, ANC Western Cape, 31 July 2018