SIX DA councillors face getting the boot after they defied an instruction on who to vote for at a subcouncil meeting.
On Tuesday, the election of DA councillor Clive Justus to chair subcouncil 2 was supposed to be a foregone conclusion. But when it came time to vote through a show of hands, a majority of DA councillors, including Grant Twigg, Marian Nieuwoudt, Xoliswa Pakela-Mapasa, Brenda Hansen and Carin Brynard, defied their earlier instruction and voted for Twigg.
Yesterday, DA spokesperson Anneke Scheepers confirmed all its councillors received a “mandate” on the party’s preferred candidates for the subcouncil.
“The caucus executive has decided to suspend all six councillors from caucus activities and meetings with immediate effect, and until such time as the allegations have been investigated and any disciplinary process has been concluded.
"The matter will now be referred to the Federal Executive chairperson (James Selfe),” said Scheepers.
Twigg, who had previously been subcouncil chair, insisted he was democratically elected, without confirming he and his fellow councillors received an instruction from their party. “All that I can say at this stage is that at the subcouncil meeting I was elected as chair.”
He confirmed receiving a suspension letter.
Brynard also confirmed receiving a suspension letter. “It’s an internal issue and we’ll be dealing with all the issues internally,” she said.
Selfe said he was awaiting the affidavits from the Cape Town caucus leadership. “Once I have this, I will be able to apply my mind.”
A former DA insider said there was a revolt against Patricia de Lille and Tuesday’s vote was the culmination of months of frustration.
ANC leader in council Xolani Sotashe insisted there was a “cold war” within the DA caucus. He said attempts to have the meeting which elected Twigg reconvened by lobbying subcouncil manager Frank Monk, would be taken up in council.
“Reconvening a subcouncil meeting can only be done when there’s been a complaint and this instruction can only be given by the Speaker (Dirk Smit). The council is not Patricia de Lille’s spaza shop.”