De Lille quits DA, mayorship

Outgoing Mayor of Cape Town Patricia de Lille. Picture: Phando Jikelo/African News Agency(ANA)
Patricia de Lille has announced that she will step down as the mayor of Cape Town at 7pm tonight.

Ms De Lille, who was addressing the media outside the Western Cape High Court, also revealed that she’s leaving the Democratic Alliance (DA) which she joined in 2010 after merging her party, the Independent Democrats (ID), with the then official opposition. 

She said she could not continue being a member of the party following months of fighting and legal actions.

Meanwhile, she has also approached the court to set aside reports that implicate her in wrongdoing.

This follows the council’s adoption of two conflicting reports by law firm Bowmans into maladministration at the metro last week.  The one report implicates Ms De Lille and Mayco member for transport and urban development, Brett Herron, in wrongdoing while the other clears them.

Western Cape Community Safety MEC Dan Plato will take over as the new mayor of Cape Town.