De Lille being investigated, not suspended - DA

21 February 2017

Cape Town - Cape Town Mayor Patricia De Lille’s office on Tuesday denied that she had been handed a letter of expulsion by the DA.

Her spokesperson, Zara Nicholson, dismissed the claim.

"It’s not true. That’s what I know," she told News24.

The party’s interim provincial leader, Bonginkosi Madikizela, claimed he too was unaware of such a move.

De Lille was, however, being investigated for her role in the leaking of confidential documents to Rapport.

Tygerburger newspaper earlier reported that it had been reliably informed by three sources that De Lille had been handed a letter informing her she would have to defend herself against being expelled from the DA after being implicated in a disclosure of documents to the Sunday newspaper.

DA federal executive chairperson James Selfe said the story published on February 19 reported on documents related to a probe into the "flouting of internal party procurement rules" by Shaun August, and was leaked by party member Josh Jordaan to Rapport.

Jordaan has since resigned.

"According to the story, this was done with the knowledge of Shaun August, and that Patricia De Lille was aware that he was meeting with the paper," he said.

The disclosure of the documentation was in violation of the party’s policy on the confidentiality of closed meetings, Selfe said.

The party’s provincial executive committee had referred the leak of confidential documentation to the media to him for consideration, Selfe confirmed.

"I have, accordingly, referred the matter to the DA’s Federal Legal Commission for investigation, in particular to determine the role played in the matter by Shaun August, Patricia De Lille, and Josh Jordaan."

He too said no one had been suspended, as the investigation was still underway.

This article first appeared on News24, see here.