Cape Town Mayor, Patricia De Lille during a briefing by DA leader, Mmusi Maimane and the DA Mayors of Johannesburg, Tshwane, Cape Town and Nelson Mandela Bay at the Mayors office in Braamfontein, 29 August 2017. Maimane delivered the DA's strategy to govern these cities with an emphasis on infrastucture development with a view to generate more investment and create jobs thereby helping alleviate South Africa's job crisis. Picture: Neil McCartney
The Democratic Alliance has stated its position on reports that criminal charges are set to be laid against outgoing Cape Town mayor Patricia De Lille for interfering in city tenders and the legal duties of the former city manager Achmat Ebrahim.
The party issued a statement on Tuesday elaborating on the investigations surrounding De Lille. They maintain that they have always supported the idea that an independent investigation should be left to run its course so that the full extent of De Lille’s governance in Cape Town can be fully investigated.
“It is important for the public to understand that there are two investigative reports, both which by all accounts point to continuous interference and misconduct by Patricia De Lille.”
The second report includes 2,000 pages of “evidence” based on interviews, legal submissions, and other inputs. The DA claims the documents paint a “grim picture” of De Lille’s conduct as mayor.
They are awaiting this week’s council meeting where the results of the investigation are expected to be tabled.
“We would be hopeful that Ms De Lille and her associates do not seek to confuse the public any further on this matter.”
De Lille could face criminal charges if Cape Town councillors follow the recommendation of a forensic report that apparently states that criminal charges should indeed be considered against her and several other officials.
It’s understood the report claims De Lille and former city manager Achmat Ebrahim broke the law when they failed to tell the council about irregular payments related to Volvo bus chassis in 2015.
The report, which also probed Craig Kesson’s allegations against De Lille, was compiled by law firm Bowman Gilfillan and an electronic copy was sent to councillors on Saturday.
The report is said to finger mayoral committee member for transport and urban development Brett Herron and suspended transport and urban development authority commissioner Melissa Whitehead for alleged misconduct in the tender process for electric buses.
Bowman Gilfillan’s report is understood to recommend that suspected fraud and corruption in tender proceedings relating to electric buses supplied by Chinese bus manufacturing giant BYD be reported to the police as per the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act.
This is Bowman Gilfillan’s second report on public transport in Cape Town. The first was publicly rejected by De Lille, citing factual inaccuracies she claimed she asked the law firm to correct before publishing a final copy of the report, but they apparently then did not.
(Compiled by Gopolang Chawane)
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