Cape Town - The City says it is looking into allegations from the GOOD Party of a cover-up with regard to a DA councillor’s 2021 road accident.
This after GOOD councillor Suzette Little wrote to the speaker about serious allegations against Mitchells Plain DA councillor Washiela Harris. Harris has denied any wrongdoing.
In her letter to the speaker, Little said she had learnt that her fellow councillor, Harris, was involved in a motor vehicle accident in April 2021 and there were allegations that Harris had used her position as councillor to manipulate evidence gathering at the scene and to evade the law.
Little said according to the other unnamed driver, Harris did not call the police to the scene, as is customary after a motor vehicle accident, but instead called the City’s Traffic Department.
“It is alleged that the traffic officers also failed to call the SAPS to collect evidence and the victim further alleges that the camera at the Thusong Centre, which would have recorded the incident, has since been removed and taken to the councillor’s office.”
Little said if the allegations that a political office-bearer abused the City’s resources for their own personal benefit were true, then the actions amounted to a cover-up.
“As GOOD we demand a thorough investigation into the allegations and the incident,” she said.
In a brief response to queries from the Cape Argus, speaker Felicity Purchase said her office was aware of the allegation and “currently determining the facts around the matter accordingly”.
Reached for comment, Harris confirmed she was in “a fender bender” in which her car’s airbags never deployed.
“My insurance dealt with the occupant of the other vehicle. I have never heard of SAPS investigating a fender bender. The occupant of the other vehicle made a SAPS case against me. I never called anyone but my husband.”
Harris said when the fender bender occurred, the tracker company, of which she was a client, sent her an SMS asking her to Press 1 on her mobile phone keypad for assistance or 2 if assistance was not needed.
“I pressed the 1, as I needed assistance.”
Harris, who was elected in a by-election on November 13, 2019, is serving her second term representing Ward 82 which covers the western part of the Wolfgat Nature Reserve and Tafelsig (west of Waboomberg Close).
mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za