Embattled Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille says she will seek legal advice after her party, the Democratic Alliance, approved a “recall clause” at its federal congress on Sunday.
More than 1 700 delegates attended the seventh federal conference at the Tshwane Events Centre in Pretoria.
The DA has laid the foundation to sack De Lille, after delegates agreed to amend the party’s constitution to include a “recall clause” for members appointed or elected to executive posts.
Such a recall could apply to presidents, premiers, mayors or any other public DA representative in an executive post who has lost the confidence of their caucus, brought the party into disrepute or who fails to implement or contradicts DA party policy.
The governing ANC has used such mechanisms to get rid of former presidents Jacob Zuma and Thabo Mbeki.
De Lille, who was not at the conference, says she needed clarity on whether the clause could be applied retrospectively.
“It is no secret that there are individuals in the
DA who have been trying to get rid of me at any cost for the last few months,” she said yesterday.
“They have repeatedly shown that they would flout their own processes and ignore their own values of ‘Freedom, Fairness and Opportunity’ in order to have me removed.
“Changing their own Federal Constitution through the newly passed ‘De Lille Clause’ shows just how far they are willing to go to avoid their own due process.”
The Democratic Alliance leadership at a federal conference meeting at Tshwane Events Centre. Photo: Thobile Mathonsi/African News Agency/ANA
De Lille is accused of contravening the federal constitution and bringing the party into disrepute.
She is also accused of covering up corruption, nepotism and using state funds to upgrade her private home.
Her disciplinary hearing has exposed holes in the party’s internal controls, and she even managed to get one member of a panel charged with investigating her recused, collapsing proceedings.
“The DA should be aware that, even if they refuse to follow due process in the spirit of fairness, the laws of our country protect public representatives,” De Lille said.
The DA congress also resolved to have all disciplinary hearings held in camera.
The DA on Friday dismissed De Lille’s application to have her hearing open to the public and is yet to decide on an application by the media.
A date for the continuation of her disciplinary hearing is yet to be confirmed.
Meanwhile, DA delegates re-elected federal chairman Athol Trollip in the face of stiff competition from Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga.
Trollip, the Nelson Mandela Bay mayor, has held the position since 2015.
The three federal deputy positions went to Mike Waters, Ivan Meyer and Refilwe Ntsekhe.