Sympathisers of Cape Town mayoral committee member for human settlements, Malusi Booi, have questioned why he has been suspended while not charged with any crime.
Booi was suspended last month after police told mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis they were investigating a case of fraud and corruption against him and that there were allegations he was linked to the city’s underworld bosses.
In a letter to Booi last month, Hill-Lewis wrote that the South African Police Service (SAPS) “have advised me that whilst the execution of the search and seizure warrant by SAPS at your offices yesterday is not indicative of a crime itself, the allegations which they are investigating are of a serious and material nature ... Further details were not divulged to me by SAPS other than to inform me that whilst their investigation is at an early stage, in their opinion I have valid reason to be concerned.”
The Sunday Times reported last week that in its application to seize Booi’s computers and electronic devices, the Hawks’ commercial crimes unit said it wanted to search for various names, including that of alleged 28s gang leader Ralph Stanfield, a company called Glomix belonging to Stanfield’s wife Nicole Johnson, alleged Sexy Boys gang leader Jerome “Donkie” Booysen and at least one large civil engineering company.
Booi’s sympathisers, who spoke to the Sunday Times on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, claim he was targeted because he wanted to run for the Western Cape DA leadership.
Unfortunately, we don’t have anywhere on the tender documents where you are asked to declare whether you are a gangster, a rapist or a racist
— Bonginkosi Madikizela
“When Booi arrived there in December 2018 to lead human settlements, Glomix was already doing work for the city and was appointed by the province,” said one.
“No-one can say that Malusi appointed this contractor as a Mayco member and these are the benefits. What they are trying to do is to link Malusi to Stanfield and claim that he is collecting bags and bags of money from him at his Bishop Lavis garage.
“But close to that garage there is a boardroom, where city and provincial officials go for meetings, but no-one is investigating them.”
His sympathisers maintain that Booi was a strong favourite in three DA regions and would have been a contender for the provincial leadership position.
One of these sources said: “What they are doing is to try and eliminate him in the leadership contest. How do police brief politicians about Malusi even though they have not charged him criminally? There is some collaboration between them. Malusi had even asked that the Glomix contract must go back to the province because it is being used to try and tarnish his name.”
Former Western Cape DA leader Bonginkosi Madikizela said his department appointed Glomix when he was in office.
“In 2019, when I was still the MEC for human settlements there was a story that my department had appointed a company owned by the wife of an alleged gangster. I had nothing to do with tenders,” he told the Sunday Times.
He said he called his team to determine if the company was registered on the department’s database, if due process was followed and whether it met the requirements.
“They said ‘yes’, and then I said ‘case closed’. I wasn’t going to be pressured by public opinion on what to do,” he said.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have anywhere on the tender documents where you are asked to declare whether you are a gangster, a rapist or a racist. In fact, I only got to know when this company was exposed that it was owned by Ralph Stanfield’s wife. I had no basis to cancel the tender. She could sue me. There was speculation that I probably had a relationship with the company. I have never met the guy to this day, and I have never met his wife.”
Madikizela said he was not aware of any relationship between Booi and the company.
“I am not sure about the extent of his relationship with the people he is being accused of being linked to,” he said. “But in terms of when the company was appointed, I can confirm that it was during my time.”
The Sunday Times put this to Hill-Lewis, who said: “I can’t comment on these relationships — whether they exist or not. You need to direct these queries to the SAPS please. All I can say is that the allegations were serious enough for me to decide to take immediate action.
“My first priority is to protect the integrity of the government. Of course it remains the case that these are just allegations at this stage, and I sincerely hope they prove to be without substance. But I must make a judgment call as to their seriousness and act accordingly.”
Booi declined to comment.
DA insiders familiar with the investigation of Booi say it concerns possible violations of the Prevention & Combating of Corrupt Activities Act.
Last week, the Sunday Times asked the City of Cape Town if it had awarded tenders to the companies listed on the search and seizure application and how they were linked to Booi. The city said it would respond “in due course”, but no response was forthcoming.
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