De Lille vows to fight accusers all the way
Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille has broken her silence over allegations of tender fraud and corruption against her.
An executive director in the mayor’s office alleges De Lille tried to sweep fraud and financial mismanagement under the carpet.
De Lille refutes the claims and promised all those trying to bring her down that she would fight them all the way to the Constitutional Court if necessary
De Lille has been accused of covering up the alleged multimillion-rand fraud in the city’s Foreshore Freeway Precinct tender. which was allegedly committed by transport commissioner Melissa Whitehead.
The city plans to connect the 50-year-old unfinished bridge to the N1 highway in a bid to ease traffic congestion and help low-cost housing projects.
The claims come from Craig Kesson, an executive director in the mayor’s office, employed 10 months ago.
Kesson’s affidavit further claims that city manager Achmat Ebrahim, too, neglected to report Whitehead’s conduct.
De Lille told eNCA this was a blatant lie and warned Kesson that he could face prosecution.
“It is really a lie and. in terms of the Protected Disclosures Act as amended in August, if you lie under oath, it is a criminal offence.”
She said there was a wider plot to get rid of her and Ebrahim.
The mayor said she was hurt that what she called a powerful white minority was targeting her for her attempts to reverse the legacy of apartheid in Cape Town.
De Lille challenges those with concrete evidence of wrongdoing by her to present the proof.
A full council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday to deal with the matter.