Cape Town Mayor, Dan Plato has admitted the city made ‘a massive mistake’ while budgeting for the Integrated Rapid Transit System.

He says political leaders must take the blame for the financial mishap.

The system’s initial budget was estimated at R1.3 billion.

However, a year later city officials did an about-turn saying the IRT would cost nearly four times the initial figure.

Plato maintains the cost blunder was not intentional adding no city employees are pocketing money.

The mayor insists it was a simple miscalculation and the result of human error.

“There is a difference in maladministration and making a mistake with your figures. It does not constitute to fraudulent activity; definitely not. There is a difference in a fraudulent activity and providing wrong figures," says Plato.