Home » Opposition Reacts to Patricia De Lille’s New Political Party “for Good”

Opposition Reacts to Patricia De Lille’s New Political Party “for Good”

Former Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille has launched a new political movement… “for good”, which the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) see as a Very Good Thing, while the Democratic Alliance (DA) say it’s Not Quite Good Enough. The EFF said De Lille’s announcement confirms its own ambition to take over from the DA and […]

By SAPeople
18-11-18 19:54
in News

Former Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille has launched a new political movement… “for good”, which the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) see as a Very Good Thing, while the Democratic Alliance (DA) say it’s Not Quite Good Enough.

Source: Twitter/Patricia de Lille

The EFF said De Lille’s announcement confirms its own ambition to take over from the DA and be the official opposition.

The DA meanwhile said in a statement that this was no surprise and consistent with De Lille’s “brand” over the years which, they claim, has been to move from one political movement to another.

In a statement Sunday, De Lille said:

Today I am announcing my response to the many thousands of South Africans who have reached out to me with one resounding request: that I do not give up on the good fight for a better South Africa.

After quoting the preamble to the Constitution, De Lille said she’d spent the past few weeks with family and pets, reflecting over the past couple of years which had been a “tough time for me personally”.

She said she was proud of what she’d achieved as Cape Town’s longest serving Executive Mayor, until her resignation on 31 October; and then detailed her fall out with the DA who she said “turned against me”, accusing their tactics of being borrowed from the “apartheid era”.

“It was hatred so deep and irrational that it was de-human,” said De Lille, later adding: “The DA had used and abused me. I was in an abusive relationship and the abuser could not be rehabilitated.”

DA National Spokesperson Solly Malatsi responded in a statement, saying:

Ms De Lille was at odds with the DA because she refused to be held accountable when revelations of her covering up corruption came to the fore. She must now account for the criminal and corruption charges she faces.

De Lille claims that, learning from Tata Madiba who forgave his oppressors, she “can also forgive them”.

De Lille’s statement went on:

I have listened to the thousands of people who have reached out to me directly.

I have considered close to thousands of thousands requests, from people across our city to continue to serve our country and to start a new political movement.

I have done an IPSOS survey that confirms support.

I also received a signal from Mamma.

She said it’s time for a new political order and that she will be launching a new political party that will contest the 2019 elections nationally and in all 9 provinces; and invited all South Africans “who believe in the good” to join her.

The party name and brand will be unveiled later this year, and the campaign for a “good South Africa” will be launched in January 2019.

The DA’s Malatsi said:

The DA is only party that has managed to unite all South Africans behind its vision of building One South Africa for all. We are the only organisation that has not given up on a diverse South Africa – in terms of race, gender, age and religious background.

We are the only organisation that has effectively challenged the ANC and held them to account. We now govern for over 15 million South Africans, a responsibility we do not take for granted.

He said there are over 500 political parties in South Africa and “Ms De Lille’s one will form part of that group. The real test for any organisation will be at the polls on election day.”

The EFF’s leader Julius Malema said he was “very happy” and excited by De Lille’s announcement because “someone is going to eat the DA vote… and when you eat the DA vote, you make the EFF the official opposition”.

https://twitter.com/mrmalusigigaba/status/1064131115580051459