R1.6 BILLION TENDER FRAUD ROCKS CAPE TOWN

A CALL for an independent audit including an investigation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has been made by whistleblowers and politicians as news broke of a major seizure operation of 26 addresses across the Cape Town metropolitan areas - which is believed to have resulted from a whistleblower relating to tenders and contracts to the value of R1.6 billion.

- GENEVIEVE SERRA

In January, Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis announced its second consecutive clean audit with 2022/ 2023 and 2023/24 Annual Reports being given the thumbs up for good governance.

The City’s integrity came under spotlight in 2023, following the arrest of their former Mayco Member of Human Settlements, Malusi Booi.

In January a raid ensued at the offices of Mayco Member for Security and Safety, JP Smith and Xanthea Limberg, Mayco Member for Energy but the two were vindicated by a decision of the Western Cape High Court who deemed the search as unconstitutional.

In June, Booi and his nine co-accused including alleged 28s gang boss Ralph Stanfield and his wife Nicole Johnson, had charges relating to Rlbn housing tender fraud withdrawn.