Patricia de Lille

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Patricia de Lille (born 17 February 1951) is the leader of the Independent Democrats, a South African political party which she formed in 2003 when she broke away from the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC).

She worked as a laboratory technician in Cape Town and became involved in the South African Chemical Workers Union, being elected to National Executive Member in 1983. In 1988 she was elected as National Vice-President of The National Council of Trade Unions (NACTU), the highest position for a woman in the trade union movement at that time. In 1990 she was elected onto the National Executive of the PAC, and led its delegation in the constitutional negotiations that preceded South Africa's first democratic election in 1994. She was appointed Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Transport from 1994 - 1999, and was also made the Chief Whip of the PAC.

She was voted 22nd in the Top 100 Great South Africans.

[edit] Criticism

Whilst considered by most to be a progressive, conscientious feminist politician, De Lille has come under criticism from major opposition parties on a number of issues. During her time with the PAC, she brokered a deal between the party and controversial anti-crime group PAGAD, and even went as far as criticising the police for arresting and detaining members of the organisation[1]. De Lille also lobbied to prevent government from carrying out court-authorised removals of unlawful land tenants from farms near Johannesburg, in a move criticised by opposition parties as Mugabe-esque[2]. During 2005 her very poor parliamentary attendance record became the subject of criticism, with opposition parties attacking her for attending just 12 of the 80 sittings of parliament in 2002[3]. During the 2004 general election, disgruntled former members of the Independent Democrats accused her of running the party in a "dictatorial and undemocratic" manner - in direct contrast with the image of transparency and accountability that she grounded her party on. De Lille refused to comment on the allegations, but told reporters that the dissenters had been fired from the party for fraud and corruption[4].

[edit] Allegations of racism

Patricia de Lille has recently raised allegations of a Cape Town hotel of being racist, accusing it of twice denying her access to the internal bar because of her mixed-race ancestry. A spokesman for the hotel has denied the claims stating that "We don't turn away people because of race or religion. We are an international hotel"[5].