CAPE TOWN - An "extremely angry” premier Alan Winde has announced that Albert Fritz has been fired from his cabinet with immediate effect following an independent investigation which showed credibility in the allegations against the disgraced MEC of Community of Safety.
In a statement, Winde said he had informed Fritz of his immediate dismissal earlier on Tuesday morning.
“I made this decision after receiving a report from Advocate Jennifer Williams following the finalisation of her independent investigation to test the veracity of several allegations that were made against him, which led to his suspension last month. The investigation report was submitted to me on Sunday evening. I have considered the content, and a meeting with Williams and our own legal team took place yesterday afternoon, where we discussed it, and I sought further clarity.
“Having gone through this report carefully, it is clear to me that Mr Fritz is not a fit and proper person to hold any position in my executive council. He has therefore been removed, in line with the powers vested in me by the Constitution,” said Winde.
According to Winde, the report found that considering the totality of the evidence, there is sufficient credibility in the allegations of sexual misconduct; there is sufficient credibility in the allegations of alcohol abuse; and there is sufficient evidence of Fritz creating an environment that is conducive to sexual harassment, or alternatively, taking advantage of young women sexually.
“I am extremely angry at what appears to be verifiable incidences of serious sexual misconduct by him, in circumstances which in and of themselves were inappropriate. That it is by someone who has been tasked to protect our youth and our communities is to me unfathomable. It is a shocking violation of his oath of office and the principles of our constitutional democracy,” said Winde.
Williams also found that: “The individual complainants’ versions are consistent, inherently probable and corroborated in material aspects. While the individual stories differ, and this is a factor which mitigates against a conspiracy, there are common features to the versions of the identified complainants. They are also consistent with the evidence as a whole.”
Cape Times