THE DA faced a fresh onslaught of criticism for mayor-elect Patricia de Lille’s proposed mayoral committee (Mayco) yesterday.
Gender equality advocates Sonke Gender Justice (SGJ) and constitutional law expert Pierre de Vos slated the DA yesterday after De Lille’s proposal for a male-dominated Mayco for the City.
De Lille chose three women to serve on a 13-person Mayco which will be signed in today.
SGJ executive director Dean Peacock said it is disappointing that the DA has not lived up to its commitment to race and gender transformation.
“It's unacceptable in 2016 to have a Mayco made up in the vast majority by men, and so few black people.
“Mayor De Lille’s position that there aren't enough qualified women and black people is indefensible. It's the same argument the DA has used before. We don't buy it,” Peacock said.
He said that after 10 years in office, the DA has had enough time to prepare women and black people to occupy leadership positions.
De Vos said gender equality is a founding principle set out in the constitution, but it is not law in the political sphere.
“It becomes a question of ethics, so if you have a political party which does not adhere to 50 percent representation of women, then that party is clearly not interested in gender equality.”
De Lille’s spokesperson, Zara Nicholson, said: “The mayor is aware of what the constitution says. She was part the delegation who negotiated the terms.
“The mayoral committee can confidently serve all the people of Cape Town knowing that they have not been chosen because of the colour of their skin or their gender as neither has any bearing on competency.”
DA provincial spokesperson Anneke Scheepers said many leadership positions are yet to be appointed. “Besides the mayor, the speaker in the legislature is a woman, our national spokespersons are women and the Western Cape premier is a woman.”