De Lille lays fraud charges against DA for sharing ‘forged’ AG statement

Former Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille has laid charges against senior members of the Democratic Alliance for “defaming and forged” posts on social media.

De Lille said the posts were distributed on social media suggesting that they were from the auditor general of South Africa.

She said her unemployed status allowed her to reflect and attend to important matters “such this one” of “false” allegations by the DA.

“I am taking this action because of the serious nature of the fraud as well as the total disregard and disrespect shown to the office of the Auditor General by public representatives.”

“I am also doing this because I value the rights and protection that our constitution should afford our society and citizens, because I love my country and because I want to ensure that all citizens are treated equally and protected by the laws that we fought so hard for.”

Detailing her facts on social media, she said in April, four members of the DA created and shared a forged Auditor General statement on social media. The auditor general confirmed that the statements were fake and the document which claimed to represent the auditor general was forged.

“It is indefensible that elected politicians, entrusted to support and uphold our constitution, sought to undermine a sacred Chapter 9 institution. These Chapter 9 institutions – the Public Protector (PP), AG, and the IEC– exist to support and protect our constitutional democracy.”

De Lille laid a complaint regarding the careless distribution of the forged document by James Selfe, chair of the DA’s federal executive.

“No action was taken by the DA against the members” proving that “everyone was hellbent on destroying me while others could get away with all sorts of wrongdoing”.

On September 27, De Lille said Mmusi Maimane wrote to the Auditor General stating that the party could not take responsibility for what its supporters share on social media.

The former DA member said she also wrote to the members who shared the fake post. She wrote to Henk Hugo, Shehana Kajee, Michael Waters, and Bronwyn Engelbrecht pleading with them to issue an apology.

De Lille said she appealed to the police to evaluate her evidence of fraud. She claimed the members had clearly aided in the creation and redistribution of a forged Chapter 9 institution statement.

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