Councillor's fine 'too light'

2008-08-27 20:07

Cape Town - The Democratic Alliance's main partner in the Cape Town city government, the Independent Democrats, on Wednesday blocked a bid to fine an errant DA councillor on the grounds that the punishment was too light.

A disciplinary committee had recommended that Wilma Brady be fined R5 000 after she fraudulently gave a property developer the go-ahead to build 33 houses on provincial land in Delft.

It found that in the letter of "authorisation", she pretended to be representing the provincial government.

It also found "strong mitigating factors", among them that she had not benefitted financially, and that no-one had disputed that she believed she was acting in the best interests of her community, particularly in the light of the housing crisis.

However when the recommendation came before the full council on Wednesday, ID leader in the council Simon Grindrod said the matter went to the heart of public trust, and the sanction was not sufficient.

Misrepresenting oneself as the agent of another sphere of government bordered on fraud, and he was concerned about the image of the council in the eyes of the people of Cape Town.

Corruption

The ID did not accept the recommendation, he said, and asked that it be referred back to the council secretariat for "full details" before the council was asked to decide on it.

His view was echoed by the African Christian Democratic Party, the DA's other major partner in the city government, which said the fine would appear at first glance to be inadequate.

Mayor Helen Zille said the DA had in fact argued in the disciplinary committee for a stiffer sentence, but this had been resisted by its other members, particularly the African National Congress.

"We will never condone corruption," she said.

"Protect your thief," interjected ANC caucus leader Mbulelo Ncedana.

"The fact of the matter is there was no corruption: there was an incorrect signature on a letter that should never have been signed," said Zille.

Speaker Dirk Smit ordered that the matter be referred back for more information on the merits of the case.

Brady chairs the Oostenberg subcouncil.

- SAPA