From Drum Magazine 8 February 2001
You could have heard a pin drop when Patricia de Lille rose from her seat in the National Assembly. All eyes were fixed on the PAC member of parliament who had a reputation for challenging the government, even if she had to do it on her own.
"The negotiations on the country's R43-billion arms deal are riddled with large-scale corruption and bribery," she told a hushed House.
She didn't (as usual) mince her words and the result (as usual) was stunned silence.
When Patricia (49) speaks, people sit up and listen. Today, 16 months after her arms deal accusations in Parliament. she's all smiles at her office.
She takes fruit juice from the fridge. saying: "There's no tea or coffee here today."
The woman with the hair extensions and ethnic clothes looks cool and informal, not at all the firebrand who keeps stirring things up.
For the past few years she's been keeping tabs on the government such as the time she accused top ANC members of spying for the apartheid regime. She's known for speaking out fearlessly when she feels someone has messed up.
South Africans are even comparing her with Helen Suzman, the veteran MP of the old Progressive Party who fought a lone battle in Parliament for years. In the 11 years Patricia has been in politics, seven as MP, her straight talking has often landed her in trouble.
Two years ago ,she was even banned from Parliament for a while when her sharp tongue became too much for some. She learnt her first political lesson as a child when a man knocked at the family's front door in Beaufort West and asked for her dad.
"Daddy, there's a black man at the door," Patricia told her father. Henry Lindt was shocked and gave his third eldest child a hiding on the spot. Patricia never made the same mistake again. She comes from a large family of one boy and six girls, Her parents, Henry, a teacher, and Winnifred, struggled to care for their brood, yet Patricia has fond memories of her childhood.
Every day followed a set routine - homework after school. freshening up before supper and the kids taking turns to say grace. After supper it was time for everyone to report on the day's events.
"Not even a white lie was acceptable." says Patricia.
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"And in a community where any adult could give you a hiding If you did the wrong thing. your lies soon caught up with you and got you into even more trouble."
She was 18 when her dad was transferred and the family moved from Beaufort West to Stellenbosch. The young Patricia cut her political teeth in the Cape. She'd just finished Matric and Henry said she could choose between furthering her studies or getting a job.
Because her younger siblings were still at school, Patricia decided on a job. She started in the textile industry, then moved on to a paint factory, where she was responsible for chemical quality control. She became involved in union politics and in 1990, with a new era dawning in South Africa, went into politics full-time.
She's married to Edwin. whom she met in the early '70s at a dance she and her sister had slipped off to without their parents' permission. The couple became friends, started dating and eventually married. Last year they celebrated their 28th wedding anniversary.
In the early years they both worked full-time and didn't have a home of their own, "For the first few years we lived with our parents," she recalls.
"Later we moved to Glenhaven in Bellville, where we lived until 1980. Then we moved to Mitchell's Plain. where we lived until six years ago."
The De Lilles and their only child Alistair (29) now live in a house in Pinelands, which Patricia regards as an investment for her old age.
Her other child Carmen (31) was born when Patricia was still at school. Carmen went to live with her granny in George when she was two and grew up there.
"The families made a mutual decision she should live with her dad's relatives," says Patricia, who was heartbroken when a newspaper report seven years ago alleged she'd dumped her child.
"It’s true Carmen didn't grow up with me but that doesn't mean I didn't fulfil my responsibilities towards her."
Mom and daughter were reconciled soon afterwards.
"My child was paid for the allegations she made in the newspaper. Afterwards I explained to her how politics works - it was an attempt to discredit me shortly before the first general election," says Patricia.
She now sees her daughter during regular annual visits, Patricia's family is important to her.
She's a grandmother already - Carmen's kids, Carmo-Lee (8), Suemell (6) and Carville (4), see more of their famous gran on TV than in the flesh. Patricia also donates money every month for the care of Aids sufferers Patricia (5) and Erica (4), who live at Nazareth House in Cape Town.
When she gets home in the evenings her three other "grandchildren" are clamouring for attention - the dogs she entertains with songs, Milo, Sheena and Kienzle lick her shoes before accompanying her to her room where they're each given a jellybean before supper.
Patricia blushes when questioned about what she sings to her canine kids and refuses to be drawn on the subject. After the dogs have had their share of attention, she spends the evening with Edwin and Alastair to catch up on family matters.
She sometimes takes work home and occasionally invites colleagues to Pinelands "so my family can see what we're doing".
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Thanks to Edwin and Alistair she hardly ever has to do the dishes. They share the household chores (including shopping and paying the bills) so Patricia's free to meet other commitments. Her work as an MP is time consuming and what time she can spend with her family is precious.
"They're used to it," she says, "but I still feel guilty. Alistair just laughs, saying at the beginning of the year he'll just have to share me with the people of the country again.
"I return every call when people leave messages, no matter where they live. People are too accustomed to politicians not taking the trouble to call back."
She has contacts everywhere and needs only to pick up a phone if she needs information.
"I've raised the matter of alleged corruption in the arms deal and I'll see it through to the end. I owe it to South Africans," she says.
One of her new year's resolutions, to make more time for herself, has led to her taking up golf. Unlike politics, she's still getting the hang of it, she says.
