DA Under Fire for Using Cape Town Council Chamber for Party Event While Council Meets Online

Cape Town’s Council Chamber became the centre of a political storm this week after the Democratic Alliance allegedly used the official municipal venue for an internal party gathering — while the city’s actual council meetings remain virtual.

The GOOD Party fired the first shot. Councillor Sandra Dickson condemned the DA after video footage surfaced showing party members inside the chamber for what she described as a “party-political, motivational gathering.” The event reportedly took place on Saturday, raising immediate questions about access, accountability, and the use of public resources.

Dickson’s core argument cuts to the point: if the chamber is available for a DA internal event, why are opposition councillors still locked out of the same space during official council business? “The Council Chamber is not the DA’s private conference facility,” she said. “It is the official meeting place of Cape Town’s elected Council and belongs to the people of Cape Town.” The contradiction she highlights is hard to ignore — one party holds a motivational gathering in person, while elected representatives from across the political spectrum are relegated to online calls for the actual business of governance.

Questions of Transparency and Equal Access

The GOOD Party is demanding answers. Dickson called on the City and the DA to disclose who authorised the booking, whether the party paid the applicable venue and service costs, and who covered expenses like security, technical support, cleaning, and staff time. She also pushed for clarity on whether opposition parties would be granted access to the chamber under the same conditions.

“This is about more than a venue,” Dickson stated. “It is about the proper separation between City resources and DA party resources, equal treatment of political parties, transparency, and respect for the institution of Council.” Strong words — and they land in a city where political tensions between the ruling DA and opposition benches have long simmered.

The DA, for its part, rejected the criticism outright. Provincial spokesperson Matthew Sims confirmed the party had booked and paid the full venue hire price, insisting the process followed standard procedures and that all political parties have equal access to hire municipal facilities. The party maintained there was nothing unusual about the event.

But Dickson wasn’t buying it. “The DA party gets the Council Chamber, while Cape Town’s actual council is sent online,” she said — a line that frames the entire controversy in its sharpest form. Until the City’s Speaker and administration provide full disclosure on who approved the booking and under which policy, the perception of a double standard will be difficult to shake.