Court battle heats up as De Lille set to do another round with DA

Patricia De Lille said she will be returning to the high court to in bid to compel the DA to hand over evidence on which an investigation into her leadership was based. Picture: David Ritchie/ANA

Patricia De Lille said she will be returning to the high court to in bid to compel the DA to hand over evidence on which an investigation into her leadership was based. Picture: David Ritchie/ANA

Published Jun 27, 2018

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Cape Town - Cape Town mayor Patricia De Lille said she will be returning to the high court on Thursday to in bid to compel the Democratic Alliance (DA) to hand over evidence on which an internal investigation into her leadership was based.

Speaking after successfully challenging the DA's expulsion of her from the party in the high court in Cape Town, De Lille said she was energised to serve the people of the city as the ruling affirmed her position as mayor, but added she would continue her fight to clear her name.

"Tomorrow I'm back in this court because all of these allegations that they continue is untested allegations that they continue to put out there in the public they have refused to give us the evidence of the allegations, so tomorrow again the court must now rule and force them to give us the evidence. What kind of justice is that?" she said.

De Lille, who still risks expulsion from the party, is challenging the findings of the Steenhuisen report, named after one of its authors - DA chief whip John Steenhuisen.

She has accused the party of withholding a letter and a cellphone message on which the report was based.

The internal investigation was headed by Steenhuisen and informed the DA’s decision to sanction De Lille for misconduct.

The documents De Lille is demanding are a letter from city councillor JP Smith, the mayoral committee member for safety and security, and an SMS that she allegedly sent relating to the performance scoring of former city manager Achmat Ebrahim, at the time he applied for the position.

It is alleged that De Lille demanded a good scoring for Ebrahim as she wanted him to secure the job, a charge she denies. Ebrahim resigned after the allegation were made and he himself was facing suspension.

On Wednesday, the DA indicated it would be studying the judgment before deciding on further action, which could include an appeal of the ruling.

The party has also indicated it would move another motion of no confidence in De Lille. 

African News Agency (ANA)

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