De Lille’s decision hinges on reports
DA council sits today over probe’s findings
Defiant Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille will outline her future once a damning report against her is tabled in council today.
The report, conducted by law firm Bowmans Gilfillan, into corruption and maladministration in the City of Cape Town, will be the ultimate decider on whether criminal charges will be laid against De Lille for failing to report corruption when it was brought to her attention by then city manager Achmat Ebrahim.
“Pending the decision of council tomorrow regarding which of the two reports they will adopt, I will be in position to announce my next step,” De Lille said yesterday.
“It is in this context that I wish to reserve my rights in terms of the ‘findings’, ‘conclusions’ and ‘recommendations’ in both reports. I will subject myself to all the necessary processes to have my name cleared,” she said.
Her remarks followed Sowetan’s report yesterday that she would no longer be stepping down after she agreed in principle with party leader Mmusi Maimane in August that she would resign at the end of this month and have all internal charges against her dropped.
De Lille’s resistance to vacate the office follows two contradictory reports by Bowmans. In one report into corruption and maladministration in the City of Cape Town, she is reportedly found to be complicit in irregularities. The second report, however, absolves De Lille completely. The mayor said she has spoken to her lawyers to write to the firm seeking clarity regarding the leaked report which had made findings against her when her version of events was not heard. “I am not surprised that there has once again been a very strategic leak of information while I was away on official business for three days. This is consistent with the smear campaign that I have been the subject of since last year,” said De Lille.
“I cannot understand how the same company conducting the same investigation, on the same charge, can come to two different conclusions,” she added.
De Lille has denied any wrongdoing and dismissed all charges against her. For over a year, the mayor has been in a tug of war with her party, mainly because of her colleagues levelling allegations against her.
If De Lille resigns, she will be replaced on November 1 by Dan Plato.
‘‘ It is in this context that I reserve my rights