JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – NOVEMBER 08: Advocate Dali Mpofu and Prosecutor; Steven Rubin during the #FeesMustFall leader Mcebo Dlamini’s appearance at the Palm Ridge Court on November 08, 2016 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The court heard that criminal charges against student leader Mcebo Dlamini are politically motivated.
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – NOVEMBER 08: Advocate Dali Mpofu and Prosecutor; Steven Rubin during the #FeesMustFall leader Mcebo Dlamini’s appearance at the Palm Ridge Court on November 08, 2016 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The court heard that criminal charges against student leader Mcebo Dlamini are politically motivated.
Advocate Dali Mpofu has been spearheading Patricia de Lille’s legal team, as the long-delayed hearing into her removal from the DA headed back to court on Monday.
As reported by News24, he’s already started proceedings at the Western Cape High Court with a bang.
Why has Patricia de Lille taken the DA to court?
The embattled mayor – who saw the Cape Town City council remove all of her executive powers last week – is arguing against the party for their decision to terminate her political membership with the organisation.
Following an interview on Radio 702, de Lille declared an intention to resign from the DA at some stage in the future. The party’s top brass said that, according to their constitution, this is grounds for exile.
De Lille is also battling to clear her name in the long-running political scandal that has dragged the party into disrepute. Senior executive branches want her gone for alleged corruption and political misgivings.
Dali Mpofu argues for “Aunty Pat”
Mpofu was first up on the floor, with arguments from both de Lille and the DA expected to be heard throughout Monday and Tuesday. He labelled the mayor’s ousting from the party as being “offensive to the values of South Africa’s constitution”.
He also claims their actions were downright “unlawful”, saying that “some wise person” had found a way to establish a shortcut to her removal.
De Lille has faced a motion of no confidence, as well as the introduction of a clause to the party’s constitution which appears to target her specifically. Here’s what Mpofu had to say:
Mpofu: We say that the #DA‘s cessation clause is offensive to the values of SA’s Constitution, most of all accountability, democracy and multi-party democracy. It inhibits freedom of expression and of association, he argues. #DeLille @TeamNews24
— Paul Herman (@PaulHermanCPT) June 4, 2018
Mpofu goes back to his main argument. “This isn’t about Patricia #DeLille‘s membership of the #DA. This is about her being mayor. Having failed in removing her legally, they have unlawfully used party rules to remove her as mayor,” he responds. @TeamNews24
— Paul Herman (@PaulHermanCPT) June 4, 2018
De Lille and the EFF
Mpofu himself is also a member of the EFF – a party which de Lille herself has entertained. Back in April, she was announced as their “special colleague” during a memorial for Winnie Mandela, She has, however, ruled out joining another party at the moment.
