/ 15 May 2018

De Lille to hear her fate

Patricia de Lille. David Harrison/M&G
Patricia de Lille. (David Harrison/M&G)

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

READ MORE: De Lille to challenge DA removal in court

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.

READ MORE: No mayco for City of Cape Town until De Lille judgement is handed down

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

It did, however, interdict the Electoral Commission of South Africa from filling De Lille’s vacancy until the matter is concluded in court.

The parties have also agreed to review the merits of De Lille’s removal in full on May 25 and timelines have been set for the filing of supplementary papers.

Advocate Dali Mpofu, SC, who is representing De Lille, argued that De Lille’s removal was unlawful and incorrectly applied. The court should therefore grant the urgent relief requested until the merits can be fully debated in two weeks.

Counsel for the DA, Sean Rosenberg, SC, argued that De Lille’s removal had already occurred, and that an ”urgent interdict” against the removal would therefore not make sense because the ”horse has bolted”. ― News24