This is a milestone week for Cape Town and Western Cape politics.
If they haven’t done so already, the DA is expected to announce Patricia de Lille’s successor as executive mayor and the candidates to replace Helen Zille as premier will also be made public.
It’s interesting because I doubt either of these formidable women will be replaced by women, never mind firebrands like them.
But there’s been an unexpected development, in that party leader Mmusi Maimane made it known that he might be interested in running the Western Cape.
I don’t think anyone saw that coming.
In fact, the development delayed the party’s candidate announcements, which were meant to take place on Sunday.
Now while I like Mmusi, I’m not sure that this is the right move for him.
It also worries me this could mean there are fears in the DA that the party could lose the province to the ANC at the next elections.
I see that as the only reason why the big gun would feel the need to come work his magic and woo Cape Town’s voters himself.
Of course, I suggested Patricia de Lille would make the perfect premier, not that she will essentially be a regular politician again.
But, sadly, it doesn’t look like that is going to happen, especially since Mmusi expressed interest, and as party leader, he gets first dibs.
Whatever the outcome, we are expected to know today who our new first citizen will be.