Cape Town – The Democratic Alliance has refuted reports that the party has taken a decision to charge Cape Town Mayor Patricia De Lille over her attendance of the EFF’s Memorial Service in honour of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
“Ms De Lille’s attendance at the memorial yesterday is a matter between her and the EFF leadership and not the DA. A courtesy call to alert the DA about her attendance would have been welcomed,” said Refiloe Nt’sekhe, DA National Spokesperson.
On Wednesday, de Lille was warmly welcomed by EFF leaders and supporters in Brandfort, Free State, where she addressed the crowd. However, she attended the event without informing the DA.
The DA noted that they received an official invitation from the EFF leadership and the Party sent the DA’s Free State Provincial Leader, Patricia Kopane, to commemorate Madikizela-Mandela’s life and to pass on their condolences.
“The DA regularly receives invitations from other political parties to address events or rallies and this is not in any way unusual. However, we do ask that the individual concerned informs the Party leadership,” Nt’sekhe said, who added that the DA has, along with the nation, been mourning the death of Madikizela-Mandela.
“The DA leader will be paying his last respects at the official funeral this coming weekend as he had done last week during his visit to the family home,” she said, referring to Mmusi Maimane.
While speaking at the Memorial Service, de Lille told the crowd that Madikizela-Mandela taught her that politics is not for “sissies”.
“When you are in politics, there are no rules for men, no rules form women. There is just the rules and she played by the rules. She played the game better than most of them,” de Lille said.
“She wasn’t the kind of politician that when you hit her on the one cheek, she did not give you the other cheek. She klapped you back.”
De Lille, who is currently mayor of Cape Town, is involved in an unrelated dispute with the DA, which wanted to remove her as mayor for bringing the party into disrepute amid allegations of mismanagement.
