Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Helen Zille will step down as Cape Town mayor on Wednesday when she’s gazetted as a member of the Western Cape provincial legislature, the party said on Sunday.
The DA won a clear majority in the province in last week’s elections, assuring Zille of the premier’s post.
”As soon as the IEC [Independent Electoral Commission] puts her name in the Gazette as a member of the provincial government she’ll cease to be mayor because you can’t be a councillor and an MPP [member of provincial Parliament] at the same time,” spokesperson Robert MacDonalds said.
Another party spokesperson Ryan Coetzee said deputy mayor of Cape Town Grant Haskin would take over duties from Zille until the city council elected a new mayor.
Earlier on Sunday Congress of the People’s (Cope) candidate for the Western Cape premiership, Allan Boesak, congratulated Zille on her party’s victory.
Boesak said in a statement on Sunday that he congratulated the DA and Zille on their performance, particularly in the Western Cape.
He said the campaign trail had been long and challenging for everyone, but now it was time for all political leaders to act on the mandate given to them and deliver as promised.
He said he was also pleased with Cope’s result in the Western Cape and elsewhere.
”It shows that our young party has made significant inroads into the South African political landscape in just over four months,” he said.
He was looking forward to a term of political office in which he and his colleagues could contribute positively to the country and the Western Cape. — Sapa