Patricia de Lille. Picture: ANA
The Democratic Alliance (DA) suffered a double blow to the gut yesterday with the defeat of their motion of no confidence against Gauteng Premier David Makhura – and the Western Cape High Court ruling that Patricia de Lille return to the position of Cape Town mayor it ousted her from last week.
According to a political analyst, the failed motion of no confidence and the DA’s consecutive failed attempts at ridding themselves of De Lille were just a case of “poor political theatre”.
The DA’s provincial leader, John Moodey, brought the motion against Makhura in light of the botched transfer of psychiatric patients from Life Esidimeni, to several nongovernmental organisations, where more than 140 of them died due to negligence and general lack of care.
In Cape Town, De Lille told journalists outside the high court she was exhausted by her legal battles with the DA, but would continue to put the people of the city first. Judge Pat Gamble ruled that De Lille be reinstated as mayor until “Part B” of her application was heard by a reviewing court of three judges on May 25.
On Friday, she launched an urgent application to the court.
“Part A” dealt with the question of her return to her post for two weeks until “Part B” was dealt with.
Part B challenges the constitutional validity of the clause the party used to remove her as a member and as mayor after an increasingly fraught seven years in the job.
She was sacked last week following a battle with the party’s leadership and bitter tensions between her and members of the DA caucus in the city.
Gamble said De Lille must, now that she has been reinstated as mayor, subject herself to the party’s disciplinary processes. She faces misconduct charges.
The court rejected her submission that during a radio interview with Eusebius McKaiser that led to her axing, she had only declared her intention to resign as mayor, but not from the party.
Gamble said in his judgment: “Turning to the prima facie right relied upon for review, we are of the view that the interview demonstrates that Ms De Lille’s relationship with the DA has all but come to an end.”
He said there was a need for stability in the city’s leadership, especially in light of the ongoing water crisis and land invasion protests, leaving De Lille’s temporary reinstatement as the only viable option.
The DA’s Natasha Mazzone said the judge had made it clear De Lille must operate under the mandate and principles of the DA.
She said the party would continue with disciplinary processes against De Lille.
According to political analyst Dumisani Hlope, these continuous motions of no confidence happening throughout the country have become nothing more than the “political theatrics of one group wishing to embarrass another.
There is no indication that Makhura would go through a no-confidence motion.
“In Cape Town, the motion, rather than messing up De Lille, is messing up the DA.”