The race to take over from Patricia de Lille, once she steps down as Cape Town Mayor in October, is set to intensify.
More than a month after Patricia de Lille announced she would be surrendering her mayoral chain, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has already received a string of applications to fill her post.
The DA called on members who are interested in succeeding de Lille to have submitted their resumes by 3 September 2018.
So far, there have been a few exceptional candidates who are vying for the top job in the Cape Town metro.
Brett Herron, a Mayoral Committee Member for the Transport and Urban Development Authority, has thrown his name in the hat, as well as Western Cape Community Safety MEC Dan Plato. Member of the Gauteng provincial legislature, Heinrich Volmink is also in the running.
De Lille’s decision to make an exit came in the wake of a legal standoff between her and the party. The outgoing mayor was accused of misconduct last year. Earlier this year, the party opted to strip de Lille of her membership and post after she declared, in a radio interview, that she would resign after clearing her name; however, that decision was then overturned by the high court.
De Lille had asked the courts to have her reinstated, pending an outcome of an application to test the constitutionality behind the DA’s new rule. At its elective conference, the party amended its constitution to allow for a recall or accountability clause, which they would then use to try and oust her.
In a joint press briefing with DA leader Mmusi Maimane, they agreed that the move was in the party’s best interests. Maimane said the party would not be forging ahead with disciplinary charges against her.
Thabo Baloyi
t.baloyi@politicalanalysis.co.za
