De Lille must come clean about SMS she sent to politically influence appointment of City Manager

14 May 2018

The comments made by Ms De Lille about Councillors JP Smith and Xanthea Limberg are both sexist and racist. To say the text message she sent to Ms Limberg to influence the appointment of the City Manager emulated from “Xanthea and Smith under the pillowcase” is disgusting, even for her.

These comments are in line with Ms De Lille’s modus operandi of bullying and trying to discredit anyone who will expose her for what she has done.

The reality is that Ms De Lille sent Ms Limberg a text message saying "I want to keep Achmat so score him highest". The text message is real and Ms Limberg submitted it as evidence against Ms De Lille for trying to interfere with the appointment of a City Manager.

This kind of behaviour is deplorable. It is inconsistent with a DA government and a DA mayor. The Party holds all its members of the executive to the highest standard. As such, this text message alone should have been enough for De Lille to resign as she clearly was not fit to be a Mayor.

To then slander Limberg and bring her personal life into what is essentially a criminal matter, is the worst kind of sexism and racism.

If De Lille strongly believes that the SMS that she sent Limberg, clearly showing her interference in the appointment processes of Achmat Ebrahim as Cape Town City Manager, does not hold up, she should submit her cell phone for forensic analysis. If she did not send the message then she should have no problem confirming this by allowing the analysis.

She - up until now - has never categorically stated that she did not send the text message. Instead, she resorts to ad hominem attacks which defy all her claims to the rights she has fought for in this country.

Women, particularly women of colour,  are often subjected to this kind of treatment that she now resorts to in an effort to distract from the fact that she tried to politically influence the appointment of a City Manager.

This is not the first time Ms De Lille has resorted to such deplorable actions.

She has allegedly also victimised and bullied the executive director in the mayor's office, Craig Kesson, and the portfolio manager of probity, Lindiwe Ndaba, after they blew the whistle on the massive maladministration in the City, under De Lille’s watch.

Ms De Lille seems to have built up a long track record of bullying, intimidation and victimising anyone who questioned or opposed her.

This is why the DA stands by the decision to cease her membership in the interest of the individuals and service delivery her divisive leadership has compromised.

Issued by Natasha Mazzone, DA Deputy Chairperson of Federal Council, 14 May 2018