Publications
Partners
The 18-month battle between the DA and its mayor of Cape Town, Patricia de Lille, was expected to come to an end on Wednesday… but probably won't.
The DA is insistent that De Lille honour their agreement and resign as mayor on Wednesday, while De Lille disputes that they ever had an agreement and is on a mission to clear her name of what she calls a smear campaign against her.
In August, De Lille and DA leader Mmusi Maimane appeared side by side at a media conference to announce that De Lille will resign as mayor come October 31, and the DA will drop its internal charges against De Lille.
READ: Maimane on honour, De Lille and councillors crying wolf about racism in the DA
Last week, reports by the law firm Bowman's were leaked before they got adopted by the city council on Thursday, eliciting a response from De Lille. The recommendations in the Bowman's reports do not relate to the DA's internal charges, which they agreed to drop.
Dispute over deal
On Tuesday afternoon, the deputy chairperson of the DA's federal council, Natasha Mazzone, said in a statement that the DA's lawyers wrote to De Lille's lawyers stating that they expect her to resign as previously agreed upon.
De Lille, however, disputes that she had a deal with the DA.
Addressing the Cape Town Press Club on Monday, De Lille said: "I didn't make a deal with the DA at all."
READ: 'We'll take it day by day' - De Lille coy on pending resignation, wants court review
Mazzone said on Tuesday: "The DA has noted with surprise Ms De Lille's comments that she had no agreement with the DA to resign. This is simply untrue. Not only did she make the announcement that she would resign at a briefing with the DA leader, Mmusi Maimane in August, we have a signed resignation letter from her."
As the said letter did the rounds on Twitter, De Lille took to the social media platform to point out that the letter is addressed to Maimane.
"It is not my formal resignation letter to the Speaker," De Lille wrote. A mayor's resignation letter must be addressed to the Speaker to carry official status.
Court action
It is expected that De Lille will lodge a court application to have the Bowman's report reviewed on Wednesday.
"If anyone of you asks me: 'Are you going to resign on the 31st?' I'm going to tell you to wait for the 31st," she said on Monday.
News24 understands that the DA will bring another motion of no confidence in her if she fails to vacate her office.
Meanwhile, the DA confirmed that Cape Town speaker Dirk Smit laid criminal charges against De Lille and mayoral committee member Brett Herron, emanating from the adoption of the Bowman's reports.
READ: DA insists Patricia de Lille must resign as charges are laid against her
De Lille and Herron have both questioned the reports' credibility and insisted on their innocence.
Herron tweeted on Tuesday evening that he welcomes the investigation.
