Cape Town – The DA has backed Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) mayor Memory Booysen, who faces an investigation by the Department of Local Government for accepting an all-expenses-paid trip to Indonesia.
The trip was paid for by the ISCC group of companies in September last year.
In April, GRDM announced that ISCC’s investment company LEN24 was set to be awarded a 50-year lease to manage and upgrade the De Hoek and Calitzdorp Spa resorts.
The land, subjected to a land claim, belongs to the Kannaland Municipality, according to the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform.
Western Cape local government spokesperson James-Brent Styan said: “The Department of Local Government will investigate the matter. One of the department’s forensic staff will do a full assessment.”
Booysen said he and his management had followed due process and informed both the council and his political structures of the trip.
“This will not be the last trip, and indeed, if we hope to learn about different governments and management, we will do so again, but in future invite the opposition to experience first-hand the benefits thereof,” he said. Booysen said the GRDM was not in a financial position to undertake such costly trips.
The ANC in the Western Cape has called on the DA to suspend Booysen pending the outcome of the investigation. Provincial ANC secretary-general Faiez Jacobs said the party was concerned that the 50-year lease was neither raised nor debated in the council.
DA provincial leader Bonginkosi Madikizela said the party would not suspend Booysen on the basis of unconfirmed reports.
“No, we will not do what the ANC says, and we support the Department of Local Government’s investigation to bring clarity to this matter.
"Should it reveal any wrongdoing, we will not hesitate to act against our members as we remain committed to clean governance,” he said.