De Lille tackles Bowman Gilfillan over ‘conflicting’ reports

Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille is demanding answers from the law firm Bowman Gilfillan (now called Bowmans), challenging the “conflicting results” of two reports it had done on her performance as first citizen.

This comes after the deputy chairperson of the DA’s federal executive, Natasha Mazzone, announced yesterday that the firm’s forensic report which points to De Lille’s “misconduct” as mayor of Cape Town would be tabled and dealt with at a meeting of the city council tomorrow.

Mazzone said it should be noted that there were two reports on strife within the city council, and that both “by all accounts point to continuous interference and misconduct by Patricia de Lille.

“The second more substantive report, which by all accounts includes 2 000 pages of detailed evidence, based on interviews, legal submissions and other inputs paints a grim picture of Patricia de Lille’s conduct as mayor…

“We would be hopeful that Ms de Lille and her associates do not seek to confuse the public any further on this matter,” said Mazzone.

However, De Lille pointed out that the “Bowmans Report Number 1 does NOT find me guilty of not taking a report to council, because in law the onus would be on the City Manager to take reports on Executive Directors to Council. Nothing in law prevented the City Manager from tabling the matter.

“Bowmans Report Number 2 does find me guilty on the basis that I allegedly tried to influence the City Manager in him trying to fulfill his duties.”

She said she could not understand why the same company could produce two different reports on the same matter and that her lawyers had now written to Bowmans to seek clarity by the end of the business day (today).

“Once I receive their response, discuss it with my lawyers and pending the decision of Council tomorrow regarding which of the two reports they will adopt, I will then be in the position to announce what my next steps will be,” said De Lille.

ALSO READ: De Lille may not resign as mayor

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