Cape Town - Mayor Patricia de Lille have seeked divine intervention hours before the DA is set to announce her fate on whether she will remain in her position.
De Lille presented herself before the party’s federal executive commission on Sunday morning and thereafter attended a church service at the World Harvest Christian Ministry in Langa.
Congregants cheered as De Lille entered the hall.
Church leaders prayed for her survival which left her emotional as the crowds kept on singing.
Out the church hall, a teary eyed De Lille said: “It is already a sense of relief.”
Video: Jason Felix
“I have been coping everyday by saying my prayers, I say to myself that I will not allow myself to be brought down by any lies. The truth will always survive, but it has been four months that I was not allowed to speak about this. Once again I want to say every South African, if you have any proof that I have pocketed money and that I am corrupt and covered, please come forward. It needs to be tested, but I cannot be found guilty of corruption because my name is synonymous with fighting corruption."
De Lille said she is being charged for no clear reason.
“I hope that they will speak the truth. And that they will be honest and charge me properly. I can see a long battle coming for me, but I am ready with the blessing of people of the City of Cape. I maintain that all I wanted was a fair chance,” she said.
The federal executive was meeting in the city to discuss the report of a sub-committee chaired by parliamentary chief whip John Steenhuisen.
The sub-committee investigated numerous allegations of division in the City of Cape Town's DA caucus and on Sunday the federal executive was scheduled to discuss De Lille's arguments for why she should not be fired as mayor.
De Lille has proposed a mediation process involving all caucus members in a bid to save her job.
De Lille said she spent about 30 minutes giving oral representations in reply to the allegations levelled against her, to the committee.