De Lille judgment opens can of worms for DA

De Lille judgment opens can of worms for DA
Simnikiwe Hlatsheni
The party is now facing the prospect of several of its disciplinary decisions over the past three years being reviewed.

The desperate attempts by the Democratic Alliance (DA) to see the back of Patricia De Lille could cost them dearly after their high court defeat against the Cape Town mayor last week during which the court ruled that its federal legal commission (FLC) may itself not be above board.

The party could face a review of several decisions made by its disciplinary body over the past three years, according to its federal executive.

This as the DA is receiving legal advice on whether it could appeal a Western Cape High Court judgment that found it violated its own constitution in ceasing the party membership of De Lille, owing to, among other things, the composition of its FLC.

Over the past three years, this body has made disciplinary decisions about key members such as Western Cape Premier Helen Zille and MP Dianne Kohler Barnard.

According to the judgment, not only was the initial FLC “selection panel” not properly constituted, the entire FLC itself appeared not to have been properly constituted in that the 11 members of the selection panel were not considered to be part of it, and never served on it.

“This must mean that the FLC panel, which was appointed to make a determination in respect of the alleged cessation of De Lille’s membership, was also improperly constituted, and this much too was in effect conceded by the DA’s counsel when pressed upon the point,” said DA federal executive chairperson James Selfe.

De Lille judgment opens can of worms for DA

The party is now facing the prospect of several of its disciplinary decisions over the past three years being reviewed.


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