In an unexpected move for the Democratic Alliance, on Tuesday the Cape Town High Court ruled in favor of ousted mayor Patricia De Lille, and give her back her position. The urgent court application was brought forward by De Lille, in an attempt to be reinstated as mayor, after her membership was rescinded by the DA last week.

High Court Judge Patrick Gamble made the decision to reinstate De Lille as Mayor in the interim, pending a review in court, which will take place on Friday, May 25.

Gamble said that chopping and changing Mayco will not be good for the City. “The preservation of the status quo is the only way forward in this matter and the DA knows this,” he said. 

He also added that the reviewing court will ultimately be in the best position to rule on the issue of costs. De Lille will remain mayor and a DA member pending the outcome of a hearing.

The DA made its decision to rescind De Lille’s membership after a radio interview with CapeTalk’s Eusebius McKaiser, where she allegedly said that she would quit the party once her name has been cleared of the various allegations brought against her. This includes nepotism and protecting individuals who were suspected of tender irregularities.

Since she was stripped of her title last week, the City of Cape Town’s highest executive leadership body has been in limbo pending the court’s decision.

Spokesperson of Acting Mayor Ian Neilson, Piera Abbott, said that Neilson had decided not to appoint an interim Mayco as he was waiting on the court’s decision.

One of the biggest concerns is that the City’s budget must be tabled at the end of May, and Mayco’s approval is needed before it can be recommended to the council.

Picture: Twitter

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Lucinda is a hard news writer who occasionally dabbles in lifestyle writing, and recent journalism graduate. She is a proud intersectional feminist, and is passionate about actively creating a world which is free of discrimination and inequality.