The City of Cape Town has agreed that a Democratic Alliance councillor be fined R10 000 for taking money from poor people in return for promising them state-subsidised houses - and has recommended that she be removed from the council for fraud.
But whether councillor Charlotte Tabisher will now be sacked is up to Local Government MEC Anton Bredell.
Tabisher, a councillor for ward 49, which includes Athlone, Mowbray and Kewtown, was found guilty of eight counts of misconduct and one of fraud for helping a resident prepare a grant-in-aid application for a creche that no longer existed.
Tabisher also charged residents "deposits" ranging from R300 to R1 000 between 2005 and 2008 while promising them houses. She was found guilty at a disciplinary hearing last month.
In its report to council, the disciplinary committee recommended that Tabisher be fined for the eight counts and removed from council for the fraud charge, a sanction that was slammed by the Independent Democrats.
Tabisher's case was discussed at a full council meeting yesterday afternoon.
DA chief whip Anthea Serritslev said the council unanimously approved the findings of the disciplinary committee. The case would be handed over to Bredell, who would review it and report back to the council.
Meanwhile, Tabisher continues her role as a councillor.
ID caucus spokesman Brett Herron said the party was "alarmed by the surprisingly lenient sentences".
"This councillor appears to have abused her position of trust to enrich herself at the expense of poor and vulnerable people who are desperate for a home," Herron said yesterday.
"It is therefore hard to imagine that there are mitigating factors that warrant a recommendation on sanction that falls short of anything but removal from office for each of the eight charges."
Voters were "tired" of politicians promising to clamp down on corruption, but who became involved in corruption.
Herron said failing to send a clear message that corruption would not be tolerated in housing allocations would be a mistake.
Serritslev said the punishment was "the highest" that could have been given.
"That's a huge penalty, the most a council can give to a councillor - removing her from office."
The DA-led council took the case seriously and there were "no cover-ups".
But whether councillor Charlotte Tabisher will now be sacked is up to Local Government MEC Anton Bredell.
Tabisher, a councillor for ward 49, which includes Athlone, Mowbray and Kewtown, was found guilty of eight counts of misconduct and one of fraud for helping a resident prepare a grant-in-aid application for a creche that no longer existed.
Tabisher also charged residents "deposits" ranging from R300 to R1 000 between 2005 and 2008 while promising them houses. She was found guilty at a disciplinary hearing last month.
In its report to council, the disciplinary committee recommended that Tabisher be fined for the eight counts and removed from council for the fraud charge, a sanction that was slammed by the Independent Democrats.
Tabisher's case was discussed at a full council meeting yesterday afternoon.
DA chief whip Anthea Serritslev said the council unanimously approved the findings of the disciplinary committee. The case would be handed over to Bredell, who would review it and report back to the council.
Meanwhile, Tabisher continues her role as a councillor.
ID caucus spokesman Brett Herron said the party was "alarmed by the surprisingly lenient sentences".
"This councillor appears to have abused her position of trust to enrich herself at the expense of poor and vulnerable people who are desperate for a home," Herron said yesterday.
"It is therefore hard to imagine that there are mitigating factors that warrant a recommendation on sanction that falls short of anything but removal from office for each of the eight charges."
Voters were "tired" of politicians promising to clamp down on corruption, but who became involved in corruption.
Herron said failing to send a clear message that corruption would not be tolerated in housing allocations would be a mistake.
Serritslev said the punishment was "the highest" that could have been given.
"That's a huge penalty, the most a council can give to a councillor - removing her from office."
The DA-led council took the case seriously and there were "no cover-ups".
- Cape Times
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