I’ve asked this before, and now I have to ask it again!
What in the name of Pete is going on at the Civic Centre?
Just when things were supposedly all sorted out and Patricia de Lille was preparing to vacate her office so Dan Plato can move in on Thursday, it’s all gone to the dogs again!
Wednesday is supposed to be Aunty Pat’s last day as mayor, but at the time of writing this, there was still no clarity on what is actually going to happen.
What is very clear is that the DA has managed to re-anger Aunty Pat, after leader Mmusi Maimane had come and made nice a few months ago. Ai tog!
Now there are two independent reports, one of which implicates De Lille and recommends that she be disciplined.
Council Speaker Dirk Smit is also considering laying criminal charges against her.
LAYING CRIMINAL CHARGES: Council Speaker Dirk Smit. Photo: TRACEY ADAMS/INLSA
All of this is why she has threatened to stay on and not resign the mayorship, as agreed with Maimane.
On top of all of that, five councillors resigned during De Lille’s final speech to council last week, including two Mayco members and the DA’s municipal chief whip.
They say it’s in support of De Lille and because the DA is racist; but the DA says they are scared the reports finger them, implying that they are jumping ship, before being pushed.
It’s a right royal mess and nobody is backing off.
De Lille, who is on a kind of crusade to clear her name and repair her credibility, says she’s not prepared to leave under a cloud of suspicion.
EYES ON THE HOT SEAT: Dan Plato. Photo: TRACEY ADAMS/INLSA
And the whispers for her to reactivate the Independent Democrats, or start a new party altogether, are growing into a chorus.
Could this be why the five councillors resigned, to start working quietly behind the scenes so long?
Is there secret strategising happening for De Lille to launch a new party?
Is this why the DA is determined to muddy her name, so it would be impossible for her to remain credible ahead of the elections?
And is that why De Lille is determined to keep her name clean, so no one can point fingers of suspicion at her going forward?
I think these are all very valid questions.
However Aunty Pat is playing her cards close to her chest. And there’s a lot we as the citizens don’t know.
But what is clear is that while the DA is fighting itself about De Lille and De Lille is having to expend her energies on defending herself, service delivery is being neglected.
I think we had all hoped that this ugly drama had come to an end.
I was even looking forward to having Dan Plato back and seeing Aunty Pat relax on the back benches for a bit.
She is getting on in years, after all.
But if nothing else, this proves yet again that politics is a dirty business and politicians can’t turn their backs for a moment to pay attention to their electorate’s needs.
Because clearly there are plenty of knives waiting to be plunged into naively turned backs.