Dear supporters of this petition Thank you for your continued support. Our petition now stands at 1,414 supporters and growing each day. On 19th JANUARY 2018, APHIWE DEKLERK wrote the following article for Business Day: “Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille lost her powers to deal with Cape Town’s water crisis on Friday. The city council vote to curtail De Lille’s influence in managing the drought response came after the DA federal executive instructed its Cape Town caucus to put deputy mayor Ian Neilson and MMC Xanthea Limberg in charge instead. Despite De Lille’s objection during the council meeting‚ most of the DA caucus voted in favour of the change‚ proposed by Neilson in amendments to delegated powers. Addressing the council‚ De Lille said due process had not been followed. "When any delegations are reviewed‚ there must be a reason because that will then inform the delegations task team as to why. That’s why I am saying’;I am questioning just the process, and I feel that because due process was not followed before this amendment came before council, that it is reviewable. "Lastly‚ I have not been consulted as the executive mayor since this is directly related to me." During the heated council meeting‚ the ANC also objected to the move and said the amendments were being snuck in by Neilson during debate on the introduction of punitive water tariffs. "The item before us deals with water tariffs and the deputy mayor has made a proposal in terms of the amendments, but if you look at the proposed amendments‚ [they have] nothing to do with what is before us‚" said the ANC caucus leader‚ Xolani Sotashe. He said the amendments were about DA leader Mmusi Maimane’s instruction that De Lille’s powers should be curtailed. "We are not defending an individual here, but standing for a principle‚" said Sotashe‚ adding that the council could not be a rubber-stamping authority for DA decisions. Despite the protests, speaker Dirk Smit called for a vote and Neilson’s proposal passed. The amendments also remove Craig Kesson‚ executive director of De Lille’s office‚ as chairman of the city council water resilience task team. During the meeting‚ the city decided to formally drop its drought levy proposal and replace it with punitive tariffs‚ as announced by De Lille on Thursday.” LISTEN TO THE VIDEO RECORDING OF IAN NIELSON AND DECIDE FOR YOURSELF WHETHER HE IS DOING A BETTER JOB THAN MAYOR PATRICIA DE LILLE?? https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=138&v=VtIMfTlxei8 “Deputy Mayor Ian Neilson has taken charge of Cape Town's water crisis, but seemed stumped when News24's Aletta Harrison asked him some questions about Day Zero on Thursday.” NIELSON IS CLEARLY NOT COMPETENT TO BE THE CITY’S SPOKESMAN ON THE WATER CRISIS, SO WHY DID THE DA SELECT HIM TO REPLACE DE LILLE AS SPOKESPERSON? The following DA leaders who were not required to speak on the water crisis in Cape Town, could not resist grabbing the attention of the voters, after hastily stripping De Lille of her rightful role of speaking on the subject: THE FOLLOWING DA SPEAKERS ADDRESSED THE WATER CRISIS AFTER DE LILLE HAS BEEN MUZZLED: MMUSI MAIMANE – National leader: He should not make statements on day zero and the water crisis in Cape Town; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU0zmDBERHk HELEN ZILLE – Western Cape Premier: She should not make statements on day zero and the water crisis in Cape Town, but she could not resist the limelight; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHl8VtMADks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9DCo0nfabE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xR2nK9Ni4s J.P. SMITH – Not competent at all to speak on the subject; SHOULD STICK TO SAFETY AND SECURITY; has not been delegated by the DA caucus to speak on day zero and the water crisis, but nevertheless also speaks on the issue. There is a clear crisis of the confusion of roles in the DA between national, provincial and local spokespersons on the water crisis in Cape Town. Councillor Xanthea Limberg is far more knowledgeable and experienced than most of the above leaders on the subject of the water crisis in Cape Town, but her voice has been drowned out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bqGY62wwNU&feature=push-lsb&attr_tag=A-TrT3N-ORbqAaSA-6 WHY IS THE DA BECOMING AN EMBARASSMENT TO THEIR VOTERS IN CAPE TOWN?