AS IT HAPPENED: 'I feel very exhausted' - De Lille after latest court battle allows for return to mayoral office

2018-05-15 13:30

The Western Cape High Court has ruled that the DA's cessation of Patricia de Lille's membership is suspended, effectively allowing De Lille to return to mayoral office in the interim.

For the latest updates, follow News24 reporters: 

 - Paul Herman: @PaulHermanCPT 

 - Jenni Evans: @itchybyte 

WATCH LIVE: Judgment day for De Lille

Patricia de Lille chats with her legal representat
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Last Updated at 14:18
13:56

De Lille, after the judgment was handed down in court: "I feel very exhausted, and I feel very tired. I'm normally not relaxed to put up a good fight, but this one is really tiring because I keep on worrying about the impact on the people of the City of Cape Town."


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Gamble: The DA's cessation of De Lille's membership is suspended.


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Gamble: Preservation of the status quo before the DA Fedex decision on De Lille is the only reasonable alternative in the prevailing circumstances.


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Judge Gamble says they are more concerned about the impact of a potential power vacuum on the citizens of Cape Town.


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Judge Gamble: De Lille's relationship with the party "has all but come to an end". 

Gamble makes mention of the radio interview once again in detail, and focuses on what was said during the broadcast.


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Judge Gamble says this case could well find its way to Constitutional Court.


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Meanwhile, it's relatively calm and quiet outside court.


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The contentious radio interview, heavily cited by the DA, is once again mentioned.


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Judge Patrick Gamble makes mention of the "cessation clause" that the DA cited in the build-up to De Lille's party membership being revoked.


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This interim ruling however, Gamble reminds the court, is "necessary" in light of time constraints and circumstances.



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Judge Gamble makes reference to the upcoming full review of De Lille's removal, on May 25.


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Judge Gamble is currently reading from a prepared judgment.


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Court is in session.


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And De Lille takes her seat in court.


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Patricia de Lille arrives, flanked by her legal team.


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Natasha Mazzone of the DA arrives at court.


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It is still relatively quiet outside the Western Cape High Court, ahead of proceedings.



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De Lille to hear her fate 

Judgment in the urgent matter between Patricia de Lille and the Democratic Alliance regarding the cessation of her membership will be heard in the Western Cape High Court on Tuesday.

News24 has reliably learnt that Judges Patrick Gamble and Monde Samela will make their ruling at 13:15.

This, after judgment was reserved on Friday, May 11, after counsel for both parties presented their arguments in the application in which De Lille is challenging the DA's termination of her membership. 

Deputy Mayor Ian Nielson has "deferred" the appointment of a new mayoral committee until judgment is delivered, having said over the weekend that he would appoint a new committee on Monday at 15:00.

The Western Cape High Court reserved judgment in the application on Friday, following a six-hour hearing. 


12:52

ICYMI: 

DA wants De Lille to explain SMS allegedly sent over key City post 

The Democratic Alliance (DA) says Patricia de Lille "must come clean" about an SMS she allegedly sent to one of her councillors during the process of appointing a new City manager in September 2016.

News24 first reported about the alleged SMS in January. It was used as one of the key pieces of evidence against De Lille in the party's internal "Steenhuisen report".

De Lille previously requested that the SMS be submitted to the court during a review of the report. She has been waiting for it since last year.

Last week, the Mail and Guardian reported on the issue again with a screenshot of the SMS, allegedly sent by De Lille to mayoral committee member Xanthea Limberg during the process to elect Achmat Ebrahim as City manager. 


12:52

ICYMI: 

De Lille saga: DA members who protested 'with opposition' also face the axe 

A number of Democratic Alliance (DA) members who joined opposition parties to support axed DA member Patricia de Lille outside the Western High Court, now also face being removed from the party.

Western Cape DA leader Bonginkosi Madikizela told News24 on Monday that he received a number of complaints from party members and councillors in the City of Cape Town that they were being "mobilised" to protest with opposition parties.

Madikizela said that a few members, including one or two councillors, were spotted in media coverage and in person while they protested with opposition party members in support of De Lille. 

As a result, they will be subjected to the party's rules on the matter, as the DA's constitution was "clear" about that type of behaviour, he said.



12:52

ICYMI: 

De Lille's removal was incorrectly applied, Mpofu tells the court 

Patricia de Lille's cessation as a member of the Democratic Alliance, the City of Cape Town council, and her removal from her seat as mayor, was unprocedural, advocate Dali Mpofu has argued.

Counsel for De Lille, the city, the city manager, and the DA met in the Western Cape High Court on Friday to argue the merits of De Lille's application for urgent relief in her matter with the DA.

De Lille wants the court to temporarily suspend the DA's ratification of her cessation from the party, so that the merits can be argued in full at another date.


12:52

OPINION: 

It's DA v De Lille: The end of the affair? (Don't bet on it) 

(By Paul Herman) 

It's been a whirlwind few days for those following the Patricia de Lille saga.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) and the former/current/possibly returning Cape Town mayor head to the high court on Friday for some much-needed clarity on her messy ousting from the party on Tuesday.

To be fair, the writing's been on the wall for some time for De Lille. We all knew this day was coming.

But the DA's use of a party clause in her removal not mentioned before this past week, its “cessation clause”, has made things a little more interesting.


12:52

ICYMI: 

De Lille rejects offer to keep mayoral position temporarily open, wants reinstatement 

Patricia de Lille has rejected an offer by the DA to keep the permanent position of Cape Town mayor - and her seat in the council - vacant for the next three months while the parties argue the merits of her removal in court.

De Lille confirmed with News24 on Thursday that her lawyers received an offer on Wednesday that her position will not be "permanently" filled for the next three months, but filled by an acting mayor, while the parties head to court.

Her lawyers subsequently rejected the offer. 


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