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Patricia de Lille, Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure.
Simple assembly, Gallo Images
- The Public Works and Infrastructure Portfolio Committee has adopted a damning report on the Beitbridge border fence project.
- Parliamentarians have also called for decisive action against the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Patricia de Lille, for her role in the matter.
- The report is expected to be considered by the National Assembly.
Calls for decisive action against Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille are growing stronger as lawmakers adopted a damning report on her involvement in the Beitbridge border fiasco.
ANC MP Tim Mashele made no bones about De Lille’s role in the controversial project.
“We cannot be hard on the officials who are executing the minister’s instructions and be loving to her. We shouldn’t be afraid of the minister. Once we’re done with the big shot, then maybe we can go after the officials. No teeth they bite her (De Lille), so this is just a public relations exercise, “he said.
The Public Works and Infrastructure Portfolio Committee met on Wednesday to deliberate on De Lille’s report following a visit last month to the now-controversial Beitbridge border fence.
The report is expected to be considered by the National Assembly.
READ | 11 officials implicated in irregularities at the Beitbridge border fence to be charged
Mashele said that given all the reports the committee had received, there was sufficient evidence against De Lille.
“The minister was central here. She issued an illegal directive. These misdeeds were not an accident. We have received the reports from the National Treasury. One day she says something in the committee, the next day she is giving a press conference where she says something else . She has deceived us, “he said.
In early September, Scopa, the Public Works and Infrastructure Portfolio Committees, and the Department of Home Affairs conducted a supervisory visit to the border.
It found that the 40 km border fence was not suitable for its purpose and that the construction of the fence was a useless expense.
At least 115 violations were detected, facilitating the illegal crossing of illegal immigrants between South Africa and Zimbabwe.
The original fence design had a height of 2.2m, but the actual final height of the fence was no more than 1.8m on each side of the edge.
DA Deputy Madeleine Hicklin requested a schedule of disciplinary hearings against the officials involved.
“Orange jumpsuits are needed. Minister De Lille must be held accountable,” he said.
READ ALSO | De Lille admits that he identified a service provider, but did not instruct anyone to break the law.
ANC MP Lizzie Fikelephi Shabalala questioned why De Lille had been a part of committee meetings if she had been implicated in the crime.
“She is the player and the referee in this fiasco,” Shabala said.
On Thursday, a request from the Special Investigation Unit will be heard to freeze the bank accounts of Caledon River Properties CC, which are listed as Magwa Construction and Profteam CC.
The companies are responsible for the construction of the porous rand 40 million border fence.
The department’s national bid award committee (NBAC) approved both bids for the project in March.
On March 18, the NBAC approved the appointment of Caledon River Properties CC, marketed as Magwa Construction, to provide contractor services at a cost of R37 million.
The following day, the appointment of Profteam CC was approved to provide professional services at a cost of R3.2 million.
De Lille has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
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