Cape Town Investigations are Progressing

30 November 2017

The Democratic Alliance is closely following the developments in the City of Cape Town, and we are determined that all substantive allegations will be investigated fully and without any fear or favour by a totally independent investigator.

It is entirely appropriate and correct that these allegations are investigated thoroughly, and that a full report is presented to Council as soon as the investigation is completed.

The specific timeline is as follows:

- The Audit Committee has appointed an outside investigator;

- On Tuesday 5 December the Council will meet to decide on the suspension of the officials involved;

- The Investigator will complete its investigation within 30 days, and no later than 29 December 2017;

- Thereafter, the Investigator’s full report will be presented to Council;

Separately to this, the DA’s Federal Executive decided to establish an enquiry into obvious political tensions in the Cape Town Caucus in June 2017. This enquiry was chaired by John Steenhuisen MP, and included John Moodey MPL, Patricia Kopane MP, and Councillor Karen Smith.  This enquiry has completed its work, and is waiting for final responses before it compiles its report for submission to the Federal Executive.

It is important to note that the allegations involve serious questions of good governance and maladministration. One of the individuals implicated, Mayor de Lille, has suggested in her public communications that this investigation is an attempt to undermine the DA government's efforts to spatially integrate Cape Town’s communities. This is patently nonsense, as a basic reading of the documentation shows. The DA’s efforts to integrate Cape Town was a pledge of our 2016 election manifesto, and is a commitment of the entire DA, not one person alone. The entire DA caucus in Cape Town completely supports this goal.

Nor is this an issue of factionalism in the caucus. Such narratives are being deliberately crafted to muddy the waters for the investigation. They are nothing more than purposeful misdirection, and should be seen as such.

We call on all those who have the City and the DA’s best interests at heart to focus on supporting and co-operating with the investigation into the specific allegations of maladministration.

The DA regards this matter extremely seriously, and we will not allow any sullying of our record as the only party of clean government. We will also take steps to ensure that this matter does not in any way disrupt the good work that the City of Cape Town is doing to alleviate the current water crisis, and that the City’s stated targets for new water augmentation are met.

Issued by James Selfe, DA Federal Council Chairperson, 30 November 2017