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By Sihle Mavuso 
8h ago
Durban – Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia De Lille is embroiled in a new tender dispute that has led to growing calls to be fired.
De Lille is now being accused by Mahalingum “Dhaya” Govender, former deputy director general of Real Estate Management Services (REMS) in the department of victimizing him after he refused to carry out what he deemed illegal instructions.
The allegations are contained in an affidavit that Govender sent to the Public Protector, Attorney Busisiwe Mkhwebane, asking him to investigate De Lille.
Govender’s contract was terminated by De Lille in December last year and he is currently fighting to overturn the decision, as he claims that he fulfilled his duties with due diligence.
De Lille is also involved in a fight with her suspended CEO, attorney Sam Vukela and Govender is backing Vukela in part in the battle.
Govender said that two contracts stand out to show that de Lille abused his authority. One was for property leases and the other was for media monitoring.
“On June 28, 2019, the minister sent me a letter instructing me to name a particular company specializing in superior global property and facility management for a period of 3 months.
“I was surprised by this illegal instruction. The instruction was clear interference by the Minister in the department’s administration and supply chain management processes, ”Govender alleged.
“On July 16, 2019, the Minister wrote me another letter in which she asked me to name Oryx Multi Media Company; on a three-month basis with a start date of August 1, 2019 for, among others, daily tracking of current events.
“The Oryx Multi Media profile was attached to the Minister’s letter. This was another illegal instruction of the Minister’s interference in the Department’s Supply Chain Management processes. I refused to name the company according to the instructions, ”he alleged.
Govender further alleged that when he refused to follow instructions, de Lille became angry and began to victimize him.
The latest accusations against de Lille have prompted the prosecutor to ask Ramaphosa to fire her.
DA MP Samantha Graham-Maré, a party spokeswoman on public works, said De Lille can continue to dismiss these accusations as evidence of a DA plot to tarnish her character.
“These accusations are not made by us. They are being carried out by senior officials in the Department tasked with providing policy guidance. The allegations are significant, ”Graham-Mare said.
In response, De Lille said he’s just doing his job and dismissed the district attorney as a bitter party.
“It is a pity that people see the intervention as interference because the looting is being disturbed. There is a difference between intervention and interference.
“I am not surprised by the campaign against me because people fear that it will be confirmed that they have looted the state coffers.
“Ministers are always told that the ball ends with us and they question us when we do not act. Now I have acted because this is my duty and it is what the public expects of me.
“The ball stops with me and I want to be responsible. The more the public holds me accountable, the harder I will work to clean up.
“I will stop at nothing. I have a mission to clean the apartment, “De Lille responded on Sunday.
Political Bureau
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