Disgraced Brady tells of ‘bounty’ threat
DISGRACED former DA ward councillor Wilma Brady claimed that a R20000 bounty was placed on her head by the construction developer she was in cahoots with and that she had refused bribes in the form of cars, money and even kitchen cupboards.
This formed part of an emotional testimony in the Bellville Commercial Crimes Court where Brady was expected to be sentenced after being found guilty earlier this year. Brady had entered into a R3 million contract with a building developer for the construction of low-cost houses in Blue Downs.
While Brady was a ward councillor and chairperson of the Oostenberg subcouncil of the City in 2006, she set out with intent to defraud, among others, developer company Lelethu and the then MEC for local government and housing, by misrepresenting that she was authorised by the provincial housing department to conclude contracts with developers.
About 15 minutes into her testimony, Brady broke down in tears as she spokes about her 24-year-old Down syndrome son and the impact her imprisonment would have on her family.
Brady said her marriage reached its lowest when her husband was on the brink of filing for divorce because of the case.
“This has had a huge impact on my family. It became difficult to the extent that some of my children did not want to speak about it at all. I later just did not want to speak about it. I have full remorse. I should have never signed the letter,” she said.
Brady said that upon engaging with several community members, she was told of the hit on her and her family. She said the school bus transporting her son was pulled off the road by unknown men in an attempt to kidnap her son.
“Many people have told me these things. When it came to my son, I took him out of the special school he was at. I looked after him at home. I reported the death threat to the City and was given bodyguards.”
The case has been adjourned to September 4.