It’s been an honour to serve as Western Cape provincial leader

30 January 2017

The DA-run City of Cape Town is taking a new direction in addressing inequality, through better service delivery. There is still much more that we must do to redress the legacy of Apartheid, so that we keep on making progress in the city.

These exciting changes will mean even more demands on me, in my capacity as the DA’s elected Executive Mayor. I am determined to give this new task my absolute dedication, and I have therefore chosen to step down as the Leader of the DA in the Western Cape.

I want to thank the DA in this province for electing me with a clear majority at the 2015 Western Cape provincial congress. During my tenure as Provincial Leader, the DA has won new municipalities, including in the rural regions of the province, and increased our share of the vote in the City of Cape Town to 66.7%. We’ve also seen unprecedented growth in ANC strongholds.

The DA is committed to redressing the injustices of the past. For this reason, the City of Cape Town has embarked on the Organisational Development and Transformation Plan (ODTP). This initiative will improve service delivery and further the DA’s plan of entrenching the City of Cape Town as being an opportunity city, that creates jobs. It will also ensure that more is done to bring service delivery closer to our most vulnerable.

Ensuring that this vision is brought to fruition will require my undivided attention.

I met with DA Leader, Mmusi Maimane, this past week to discuss this decision. He supported my move, given the strategic importance of our governments to realising the DA’s values and principles. I also agreed to continue to assist other DA governments, so that they can establish the same excellent delivery record as the City of Cape Town.

I look forward to working with my DA colleagues across spheres of government to build on our record of good governance, excellent delivery and in creating opportunities. We will continue to work to ensure that where we govern, we create jobs and deliver better services.

I want to thank the Provincial Executive Committee, the DA’s operational staff, office bearers and activists, for working with me to ensure our historic growth in the Western Cape. I also want to commend the many DA governments in the Western Cape for their commitment to excellent delivery.

Together, we will continue to bring real change to the lives of the people of the Western Cape.

Issued by Patricia de Lille, DA Western Cape Provincial Leader, 30 January 2017