DA's De Lille obsession has turned Council meetings into internal hate-driven battlefield

26 July 2018

The ANC notes the DA's last minute withdrawal of its motion of no confidence against City of Cape Town Mayor Patricia De Lille. The manner in which the DA has dealt with De Lille over the last few months has proven the DA to be an organization led by dishonorable individuals who are not interested in the truth. Despite numerous public accusations and reports by the DA against De Lille, which naturally warranted a disciplinary hearing, the Party has refused to continue with a transparent and open disciplinary process, bizarrely choosing to abandon the whole process and adopt desperate and pathetic tricks instead.

So far there is no court of law that has believed DA's version of events, and their processes have been found legally questionable and motives suspect, but their pride has blinded them because De Lille must be removed by any means necessary. The disregard of truth, the illegal machination and desecration of the most important office in the City has turned the DA into the enemy of the people and the ANC wont allow it.

The DA was on a third motion of no confidence on De Lille in just a few months and the people are still none the wiser as to what exactly has resulted in this loss of confidence. The DA clearly rejects the idea of governing for the people and whoever is forcing them to these extreme and irrational pursuits against their own Mayor, it is not the people.

Given the split in DAs own caucus in the De Lille matter, the City of Cape Town is unlikely to be a functional municipality again. The City is going to struggle, moving forward, to even pass budgets and other important resolutions in Council and having a coherent council has become a pipe dream.

The ANC's view has been that at the helm of much of the poor functioning of the Council is the Speaker of Council, Dirk Smit. He has been nothing but impartial and has proven to lack the objectivity and nonpartisanship required of a Speaker. He must be removed from the high seat in Council. 

As with other municipalities, the ANC is open to forming a new municipality for the sake of the people of Cape Town.

Issued by Faiez Jacobs, Provincial Secretary, ANC Western Cape, 26 July 2018