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Cape Town still without a mayor

Patricia de Lille
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The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC)  in the Western Cape says the City of Cape Town manager has officially informed them of a vacancy in the City.

This, after the Democratic Alliance (DA) terminated Patricia de Lille‘s party membership on Tuesday, ousting her as mayor.

IEC provincial electoral officer, Courtney Sampson says De Lille is on the party’s proportional representation list and therefore there will be no by-election to fill the vacancy.

Sampson says in the light of the current High Court case in which De Lille is challenging her expulsion, the IEC cannot go ahead and fill the vacancy.

“The court is asked to interdict the IEC from filling the vacancy, the judge made it clear on Friday that the IEC is interdicted from filling the vacancy, once that has been cleared by the courts, if the court says there is a vacancy then the IEC will put its processes in place get the party to adjust its list and fill that vacancy.”

The City of Cape Town says governance will be compromised if it further delays the appointment of a new mayoral committee, scheduled for Monday.

Ousted mayor Patricia De Lille asked the court for interim relief pending the outcome of the urgent application to retain her position as Executive Mayor. Judgement has been reserved until the 25th of this month.

The court interdicted the IEC from filling her city council position. However, Acting Mayor, Ian Neilson, says its urgent that budgets be finalised for the new financial year. Piera Abbott, Spokesperson for the Acting Mayor, says by law they are required to appoint a committee to assist in governing the city.

 

“At the completion of proceedings on Friday evening, the court had reserved judgement and indicated it was not in a position to indicate when its ruling would be delivered. The city is advised that legally, nothing precludes Alderman Neilson from taking the appointment. But out of respect for the court he will delay making the appointment until 3pm Monday the 14th of May.”

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