Top official suspended in Cape Town – report

A top city official implicated in alleged tender irregularities was placed on precautionary suspension by the Cape Town city council on Friday.

Transport commissioner Melissa Whitehead has been suspended according to a media report.

Eyewitness News  reported that Whitehead is at the center of a number of allegations that have already seen long-time municipal manager Achmat Ebrahim quit his post and mayor Patricia De Lille facing a DA disciplinary hearing.

De Lille is under investigation by both her party and the city council for allegedly covering up claims about Whitehead’s alleged wrongdoing‚ TimesLIVE reported earlier.

Ebrahim quit last Friday‚ the day he was scheduled to give the council his reasons why he should not be suspended pending disciplinary action.

Among other allegations‚ Whitehead is alleged to have been in giving an unfair advantage to Chinese company BYD in a race to supply electric buses for Cape Town’s MyCiTi bus rapid transport service.