Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis placed Mayoral Committee (Mayco) Member, Councillor Malusi Booi, on suspension. This is with immediate effect. This comes after a specialised unit from the South African Police Services (SAPS) conducted a search and seizure operation at the City offices on Wednesday. It included the offices of Councillor Booi, who is the Mayco member for Human Settlements.

During last year, the police arrested eight City officials following investigations into tender fraud at the municipality. They face accusations of inflating invoices and paying service providers for non-existent construction work.

Mayor Hill-Lewis, in a statement, confirmed Alderman James Vos as Acting Mayco Member for Human Settlements:

The SAPS informed me this morning that the investigation is at an early stage, but is potentially serious and relates to alleged fraud and corruption, and that further details cannot be disclosed at this time. As a result, I have suspended Councillor Booi from his position on the Mayoral Committee.

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Hill-Lewis has also assured SAPS of the City’s ‘full support in the ongoing investigation’. Adding that the City takes a ‘zero tolerance approach’ to fraud and corruption – and will not hesitate to act in the interests of ‘good governance’:

If any information comes to light which casts a shadow on that integrity, then I will act accordingly and very decisively. For now, what I need to do is gather more information from the SAPS, and I’ve asked for them to come and brief me

SAPS Spokesperson, Andre Traut, says the operation forms part of an investigation into fraud and corruption. He confirmed that the team seized electronic equipment and documents.

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Following the initial reports of the raid, Democratic Alliance (DA) Western Cape Leader Tertius Simmers said the details were sketchy at that stage, reports EWN:

For the moment, I confirm the Western Cape government, the Department of Infrastructure, the Western Cape DA and all of the combined arms of government in the Western Cape unreservedly condemn all irregular and illegal influences upon the execution of good governance

The police’s Traut confirmed to News24 that the operation was executed by detective connected to the Commercial Crimes Unit, who possessed a search warrant. “Details of this seizure and investigation cannot be divulged at this premature stage,” he said.

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