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The more action the DA initiates against Cape Town Mayor Patricia De Lille, the more it feels like a witch-hunt.
De Lille is no saint, but the relentless energy unleashed to pursue her gives the impression of a party desperate to find something – anything – to nail her with.
The DA even went to the extent of crafting a special clause in its constitution at its recent congress, which was not necessary until De Lille stood up to party bosses.
The clause enables the party to get rid of her without her being found guilty of any wrongdoing – all it requires is for party members to express their lack of confidence in a leader for the process to remove a person to begin.
It is a short-sighted process that might come back to bite the party later.
The DA, which professes to be the most liberal of any political party in South Africa, has constantly turned down a request by De Lille for the disciplinary hearing to be held in the open to allow South Africans to make up their own minds.
This is the same party that fought hard for the National Prosecuting Authority to open its disciplinary hearing against its member Glynnis Breytenbach. So the rules are good for government, but not quite good enough for the DA itself.
This is particularly significant because the party is not aiming to remove De Lille from some party position, but from an elected public position.
We understand parties have their processes through which they deal with members, but this is a mayor who was constitutionally elected by the electorate, with an almost 66.6% majority.
Party bosses must respect the electorate and not use their powers willy-nilly, or to settle scores using public representative positions.
The DA has in the past accused the ANC of the same kind of abuse of positions, but given the first opportunity, the party did not blink in repeating those mistakes.
It was shocking how the DA removed an elected mayor from dealing with the biggest challenge facing her city – the drought – and getting party leader Mmusi Maimane to play the lead role.
The DA may in the end get its wishes and remove De Lille, but the episode has eroded much of its standing and integrity.
