DA accuses De Lille of scapegoating public works officials over Beitbridge border fence debacle

Following her response to a parliamentary question by DA MP Adrian Roos regarding the procurement process that was followed in the R37.2-million Beitbridge border post fence, the official opposition has accused Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia De Lille of absolving herself from any responsibility.

According to the party’s shadow deputy minister of public works and infrastructure Samantha Graham-Maré, De Lille “hid behind responses such as the ‘department of public works and infrastructure (DPWI) [providing her] with the following information’ and the ‘DPWI informed [her] as following’.”

“If she is serious about her role in the executive, then Minister De Lille would know not to cherry-pick the matters which she will account for, especially when those issues are happening under her leadership. She did exactly the same thing when confronted about the mismanagement of quarantine sites, even going as far as accusing officials within the DPWI of operating a ‘scam’,” added Graham-Maré.

The party went on to state that it believes that De Lille, who left the DA in 2018 to start her own party, had chosen instead to throw officials in her department under the bus.

“No matter how much she tries to escape accountability, she was ultimately the political head overseeing the entire process and for that, she has to account.”

The party has vowed to submit further parliamentary questions to De Lille in order to gain more clarity on matters surrounding the Beitbridge Border fence scandal.

Namely:

• At what point was she involved in the decision-making process of the fence?
• Who gave the final approval for the procurement to go ahead?
• Was she receiving any updates on the progress of the build programme? And if so…
• What action did she take when red flags started to pop up?

“Minister De Lille’s refusal to take responsibility for her department squandering taxpayer money on the Beitbridge ‘washing line’ is something that is fast becoming a common theme – she is never at fault and she always places the blame elsewhere,” concluded the DA.

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