Appointment of Cape Town mayoral committee delayed

File picture of Patricia de Lille and then Deputy Mayor Ian Neilson during a media brief.
File picture of Patricia de Lille and then Deputy Mayor Ian Neilson during a media brief.
Image: Trevor Samson

The appointment of a new mayoral committee for the City of Cape Town has been delayed until Monday‚ the city’s acting executive mayor‚ Ian Neilson‚ announced on Sunday.

He said this was out of respect to the court‚ which has reserved judgement on the reinstatement of Patricia de Lille‚ who was axed as mayor by the DA last week.

“I am required by statute to appoint a Mayoral Committee (Mayco) to assist me in the governance of the City‚ and I am ready to do so.

“As is known‚ last week Alderman Patricia de Lille applied urgently to the High Court in Cape Town for an interim order reinstating her membership of the DA and as Executive Mayor pending the determination of an application by her for final relief against the DA (which is to be heard on May 25)‚” Neilson said in a statement.

At the completion of proceedings on Friday evening in the urgent application‚ the court had reserved judgment and indicated that it was not in a position to indicate when its ruling would be delivered‚ he added.

“I am advised that‚ legally‚ nothing precludes me from proceeding with the appointment of a Mayco‚ but out of respect to the Court I will delay making the appointment until 3pm on Monday May 14 2018.

“If by then‚ the High Court has not ruled on Alderman De Lille's application‚ upholding her application for the interim order‚ I will proceed with the appointment of a new Mayco.

“I will not be able to wait any longer than that because without a Mayco from early in the coming week the governance of the City will be compromised‚” Neilson said.

“Amongst other things‚ a Mayco is required to give political guidance to the budget process‚ which is far advanced‚ for the forthcoming municipal financial year.

“I will convene a Mayco meeting for Tuesday morning‚” he added.

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