LESS than a month after surrendering his mayoral chain to Geordin Hill-Lewis, the DA’s Dan Plato is heading back to the Western Cape Legislature.
The DA, in the province, announced that Plato would be filling the vacant seat of former provincial leader, Bonginkosi Madikizela.
The seat has been vacant for nearly eight months after Madikizela stepped down from the trio of leadership positions he held in the provincial government and party structures.
His resignation came after news broke that he did not possess a BCom Degree in Human Resource Management as was previously stated on his CV.
Plato, who prior to 2018, had been a Member of the Legislature and resigned to become the City of Cape Town’s mayor after Patricia de Lille resigned from the DA to form the Good Party.
Plato was first elected mayor in May 2009 succeeding Helen Zille until June 2011 where he took up a seat in the Legislature and was later named MEC for Community Safety.
On Tuesday Plato confirmed his nomination the Weekend Argus but said he had not been notified as to when he would be sworn in.
Speaker in the Legislature, Masizole Mnqasela said his office is still waiting for the party to send a formal letter to request a date for swearing in.
“I will set a date that will accommodate everyone involved,” he said.
With the Legislature about to go into recess this week, it is unclear whether Plato will be sworn in this year or the next.
The EFF’s Melikhaya Xego said Plato’s return to the Legislature was a pat on the back for helping to secure win the metro.
“He has fulfilled his mandate of winning coloured support. Useless as he may be at least he assisted DA to survive,” he said.
“(The) Legislature is his dumping zone where he will be a backbencher not doing anything effective.”
Plato’s nomination was among three positions the party had to fill.
Former City of Cape Town Councillor, Christopher Fry and Member of the National Council of Provinces, Farhat Essack have been nominated to fill two vacancies in the party’s structures in the National Parliament.
One seat being that of Hill-Lewis and the other seat that belongs to James Selfe who is set to retire on December 31, after 27 years as an MP.