Inside Patricia De Lille's bitter power struggle with Helen Zille
'One hears rumours that the weekly ‘de-briefing’ Zille/de Lille breakfasts are no more'
Premier Helen Zille’s term as Western Cape provincial premier ends in 2019 – she is constitutionally constrained from sitting for a further, third, term. Until the resignation at the weekend of Patricia de Lille it was widely believed that De Lille would move from the mayoral office in Cape Town to the Premier’s mansion at Leeuwenhof when Zille is forced to vacate it. That prospect it much diminished now. Actually it is probably out with the baby’s bathwater. It means that someone else will have to fill Zille’s shoes. Significantly Western Cape Human Settlements MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela is De Lille’s deputy provincial leader. He will act as leader as from Wednesday. It is not clear if Madikizela has the support of the party in the province to take on the role of provincial leadership permanently – and, as a likely consequence – of premier. But his chances have certainly been raised. De Lille would have made the most likely contender to take over from Zille, but clearly something – ...
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