Cape Town - Calls are mounting for the DA-led George municipality to suspend a senior DA councillor who is being probed by police for the illegal sale of subsidised plots and RDP houses in Rosedale.
The councillor allegedly swindled at least six residents, including a southern Cape police captain, out of their cash, and benefited illegally through cash payments.
Confirming the investigation, southern Cape police said the detectives in George were investigating a case of corruption, fraud and theft relating to the alleged housing scam.
Police spokesman Captain Malcolm Pojie said the case was officially opened in August.
He added that the investigation was at a sensitive stage and police could not divulge any further details.
“The docket is currently with the director of Public Prosecutions for guidance and a possible decision whether to prosecute or not. No arrests have yet been made,” Pojie added.
Asked for comment, the George municipality took three days to respond, hinting in a one-line response that the allegations were merely rumours.
“George municipality takes note of the rumours and can only comment if evidential proof can be obtained,” said spokeswoman Chantel Edwards-Klose.
But in a sworn affidavit in the possession of the Cape Argus, a police captain directly implicated the DA councillor for allegedly swindling him out of R5 000 in cash.
The officer was trying to assist an elderly couple, renting a two-bedroom house on his smallholding, who needed to move out after it was sold last year. He gave a detailed account of his encounter with the councillor and two other men.
In the affidavit, the officer said he became suspicious and brought the matter to the attention of the municipality in August – only to find out that no money should have been exchanged in the first place to secure a plot.
Virgil Gericke, a George councillor and leader of the Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners (PBI), demanded the immediate suspension of the councillor pending a full investigation.
“Vulnerable, poor and needy people have put their trust in this councillor with the belief that he could assist them in becoming owners of their own houses,” he said.
Lashing out at the DA, Gericke said the party proclaims to be “martyrs against corruption”, but despite PBI raising the alleged housing scam numerous times in the council, the ruling party in the municipality had failed to take action.
“Even when an affidavit in this regard was submitted to the office of the Speaker, no action was taken. The irony is that even whilst so many other cases are under investigation against this councillor, he still continues with these unscrupulous, corrupt activities in the community,” Gericke added.
He said the DA failed to properly investigate the matter, opting to cover up the activities of their councillor.
“This very same councillor is allegedly involved in big-scale allocation of erven to people who are not even on the waiting list. These people were instructed by the municipality to vacate the erven, but they refused and marched to the municipality, claiming to occupy these erven legally,” said Gericke.
ANC George sub-region secretary Mervin Olivier said it was a concern elderly people were allegedly swindled out of their savings.
“In one case a couple were allegedly defrauded of R130 000 for an RDP house. In the other cases the unsuspecting complainants had to pay thousands for plots,” said Olivier. “The DA has been informed about what has transpired but still the party has done nothing. The DA needs to stop protecting corrupt councillors.”
DA regional manager Jaco Londt, from George, said the party will definitely act against the councillor if there is any truth to the allegation.
“We only received the formal complaint on Thursday and have started a process to follow up on the complaint. If there is any truth to the allegation we will institute disciplinary steps against the offender,” Londt said. Attempts to contact the councillor were unsuccessful.
Cape Argus
* Comments are closed to protect the identity of the councillor who has not yet been named.