The Democratic Alliance’s attorneys will approach the Cape High Court’s judges’ chambers on Monday morning to inform the presiding officer in an urgent application that an out-of-court settlement had been reached over the weekend.
”It is a mere formality for the matter to be postponed sine die (indefinitely),” said Frans Rautenbach.
He will inform acting judge Geoff Budlender of the settlement, after Budlender postponed an application on Friday, in which the DA sought relief from what it deemed to be ”unlawful” use of state resources by Western Cape Premier Marthinus van Schalkwyk, the NNP and the ANC to further their election campaigns.
In a joint statement on Saturday, the office of the premier of the Western Cape, the New National Party and the African National Congress — all cited as respondents in the case — reached an agreement with the DA.
”The four parties to the dispute have decided to settle this matter amicably and the application will not be proceeded with. Accordingly the Cape High Court will be approached on Monday 5 April to postpone the application sine die and no order as to costs to be made,” read the statement.
The political parties to the dispute also agreed that in a new democracy such as South Africa’s, it was important for political parties to agree on what constituted appropriate conduct during election campaigns. The parties agreed to debate and discuss, after the 2004 elections, the issue of good democratic practice for political parties in appropriate parliamentary and legislative forums. – Sapa