City suspends official linked to Booi’s alleged fraud

A City official has been suspended for allegedly playing a role in the multimillion-rand fraud in which DA councillor Malusi Booi has been implicated.

Moreover, the City served employees with tenure contracts in Booi’s office with a month’s notice, City spokesperson Priya Reddy confirmed to the Cape Argus. Though two councillors in different municipalities said a Mayco member can be allowed to make between three and five political appointments, the Cape Argus could not immediately verify how many employees Booi had in his office.

Last week, mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis axed Booi with immediate effect from his mayoral committee post after Booi’s offices were raided in a blitz led by the SAPS commercial crimes unit amid ongoing investigations into allegations of tender fraud at the housing department, which whistle-blowers estimated to be at least R700 million. Crime-fighter Hanief Loonat has been assisting the police in piecing the puzzle together in the mega fraud investigation.

The DA stated its intention to suspend Booi, who has been given an opportunity to respond. Booi has since gone to ground and yet again could not be reached for comment. Reddy said: “Councillor Malusi Booi’s term of office came to an end on March 23. As such, the staff who have fixed tenure contracts linked to the tenure of the said mayoral committee member have been served with a one-month’s notice period.

“The staff were informed in writing, as per the provisions of their contracts of employment, that their contracts will terminate on April 24.” Reddy wouldn’t disclose how many staff members were served with notices. She said the City on March 16 suspended one official who was permanently in its employ. “This employee is not at work and was suspended with full benefits,” Reddy said.

Reddy was pressed on the suspended official’s designation, how long the official had been with the City, and how many staff members were in Booi’s employ. She refused to provide the details, saying the matter was under investigation. Cape Coloured Congress president and City councillor Fadiel Adams said the City had yet to respond to the Promotion of Access to Information Act request made about an internal investigation report four months ago.

He said the treatment of Booi’s staff was unfair. Adams referred to the stark contrasts in how the DA handled Booi’s case and that of its fraud-accused councillor Nora Grose. “If people of colour still don’t understand the DA, let them understand now: in that party, white is right. “I don’t carry a brief for Malusi Booi ... But this is as flippant racism as you can get.”

He called on Hill-Lewis to release the forensic report into tender 357Q, which was supposed to deal with collapsing staircases at municipal rental stock on the Cape Flats. “We will get the report. Let me make that clear,” Adams said. On Sunday evening, DA provincial leader Tertuis Simmers said: “Since the PEC meeting on Thursday, several attempts to serve the intention to suspend papers on councillor Malusi Booi have been unsuccessful.

“This despite the fact that during two separate telephone conversations, he was alerted to the need to serve the documents on him, and on one occasion, Councillor Booi did not honour a meeting agreed on. “The matter is now with party lawyers for the sheriff of the court to serve the intention to suspend letters. Regular updates on the matter will be provided.”