NEWS ANALYSIS: How the DA shot itself in the foot with bungling of De Lille saga

After snatching three metros from the ANC in the 2016 local government elections, the DA turned to Patricia de Lille, who has been running the Cape Town Metro since 2011, to assist with preparing incoming mayors for Pretoria, Johannesburg and Nelson Mandela Bay. That was about 18 months ago. Since then, De Lille has become the DA’s self-proclaimed problem child and is on the verge of losing her job and potentially being kicked out of the party. This comes soon after the election of Cyril Ramaphosa as ANC president — a worst-case scenario for opposition parties wanting to capitalise further on weaknesses in the governing party ahead of 2019’s election. The win by Ramaphosa has re-energised many loyalists who had thrown in the towel and were on the verge of ditching the former liberation movement. Many are now giving their political home one last chance, more so given the message of renewal by Nelson Mandela’s initial pick for president.Speaking at the ANC’s anniversary celebrations o...