Outgoing Cape Town Mayor Patricia De Lille says the past month has been very difficult for her. De Lille spoke to the journalists following the announcement of her resignation during a joint briefing between her and Democratic Alliance Leader Mmusi Maimane.
De Lille’s announcement of her resignation came just a day before an open disciplinary hearing process was expected to take place today and tomorrow. De Lille says talks to reach an agreement with the DA has been in the making for a while.
“It has been going on for the past month now and it has been difficult. But fortunately for me it has been very consistent because I speak the truth all the time, and I don’t deviate from what I’ve said publicly and privately. I said the same things and I am just happy and relieved that we found an agreement now.”
Her resignation as Mayor is effective from the 31st of October, but she says she has not decided yet whether to remain a councillor after October or not.
The DA-led city council stripped her of her executive powers, but failed to remove her in a Motion of No Confidence.
The DA attempted to remove her with a second Motion of No Confidence recently, but the party withdrew it at the last hour.
And on Sunday, the DA and De Lille broke the news that she’ll step aside. This was first announced by Maimane.
“Mayor Patricia de Lille has agreed to resign as mayor of Cape Town, effective from 31 October 2018. And what we will do as a party is to ensure that we begin the process of electing a new mayor with immediate effect. I also want to state that the DA has made a decision to withdraw all internal disciplinary charges against Patricia de Lille. Any other investigations that are taking place in the city fall outside this particular agreement.”
Maimane says a process to elect a new mayor for the City of Cape Town will kick in.
“And what we will do as a party we will make sure that we begin the process of electing a new Mayor with immediate effect. I also want to state that the DA has made a decision to withdraw all internal disciplinary charges against Patricia De Lille. Any other investigations that are taking place in the city fall outside this particular agreement.”
De Lille, who remains a DA member, expressed relief that the disciplinary charges have been set aside.
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