Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille has been accused of wrongdoing relating to a border fence between South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Hon Patricia De Lille tabling her department budget vote in Parliament on 10 July 2019. Picture: @DepPublicWorks/Twitter
CAPE TOWN – Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille said that she was again the target of a Democratic Alliance (DA)-led smear campaign.
“Th DA is now working together with the people who are now on the carpet for corruption. I also have evidence that they are working together. The DA has lost all its cases against me in the Western Cape and they are still bitter.”
She’s been accused of wrongdoing relating to a border fence between South Africa and Zimbabwe.
De Lille said that she was asked before the COVID-19 lockdown came into effect in March to erect the fence in the north of the country.
The DA said that De Lille had a hand in pushing for a certain company to do the job, alleging that it was given undue preference.
The minister’s rubbished claims that she abused her power.
“What went into the directive, the time frame, there’s no company in there. It is the time frame that the DG provided to me.”
She explains her concerns over the border fence project.
“At the time, they were reporting to me that the fence what cost about R37 million. Later, on 20 April, I found out that it’s not R37 million, it’s R40 million and that is the red line.”
