Promotion to MPL won’t protect DA Mayor from corruption charges

Memory Booysen, the former Mayor of the Garden Route District Municipality and current DA Western Cape Member of Provincial Parliament, is under investigation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), commonly known as the Hawks.

Previously, the Cape Independent has reported on the impunity which DA representatives in the district have enjoyed since 2011. The DA strategy for dealing with corruption allegation in the Western Cape has been to promote the accused to parliamentary positions.

The Hawks’ Western Cape spokesperson, Lieutenant-Colonel Siyabulela Vukubi, confirmed the investigation, which concerns alleged irregular remuneration approvals and oversight failures during Booysen’s tenure as mayor. “The matter is under investigation. No further comments,” Vukubi stated.

The investigation follows a media release on 21 June by Khalid Sayed, the ANC’s provincial spokesperson, urging the DA to address the matter promptly. “The ANC is troubled by the allegations of contraventions of the Municipal Finance Management Act, which the GRDM dismissed. This dismissal has been contradicted by the findings of the Western Cape Local Government MEC, Anton Bredell, and the ongoing Hawks investigation,” Sayed said.

Sayed announced that the ANC plans to bring the issue before the legislature’s conduct committee once it is established. He alleges that Booysen approved irregular remuneration for GRDM municipal manager Monde Stratu, including an illegal gratuity of R4,241,375, exceeding Upper Limit Notices.

Sayed further claimed that Booysen’s actions violate the DA’s standards for public representation as outlined in the memorandum endorsed by Federal Council Chairperson Helen Zille on 5 July. He also accused Booysen of failing to oversee illegal remuneration practices within the administration and of not informing the DA caucus and the council of the notice.

Questions were directed to both Booysen and DA Western Cape leader Tertius Simmers via the DA’s provincial communications section. Simmers responded, “The allegations against Mr Booysen were subjected to various investigations that have not concluded yet, and therefore due process needs to be respected.” There was no response from Booysen.

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