City of Cape Town mayoral committee member and Democratic Alliance (DA) deputy caucus leader, JP Smith says re-installed Mayor Patricia De Lille is not fit for the office.

Smith was reacting to Tuesday’s high court ruling that granted Patricia de Lille interim relief to remain as the Mayor.

Judge Patrick Gamble ruled that the cessation of de Lille’s membership of the DA has been suspended until her urgent interdict against the party’s decision is heard on 25 May.

Efforts to obtain a response from De Lille have been unsuccessful so far – after Smith was scathing about her:

Smith says: “The mayor must go, she cannot be mayor whatever happens to her party membership and everything else.”

“This person is not someone we can inflict on the city as mayor. The public deserve better, we had a brilliant record of governance in Cape Town unparallel in South Africa. Patricia De Lille has become a blot on that good name. She likes to play race continously and she is not fit for a party with exceedingly multiracial caucus, you can’t be a racist in a multiracial caucus.”

The DA last week terminated her membership from the party because De Lille publicly declared her intention to resign from the party on a radio station.

The DA says it is pinning its hopes on next week’s court judgment.