Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has announced the axing of his Mayco member of Human Settlements, Malusi Booi, a week after his suspension.
Booi was suspended without pay last week following a raid at his offices over allegations of tender fraud.
“I have received an updated briefing from the SAPS regarding their investigation, and on this basis, have decided to remove Councillor Malusi Booi from his position with immediate effect,” said Hill-Lewis.
“While councillor Booi has not been charged, the matters under investigation are to my mind serious enough to warrant immediate action to protect the integrity of our government,” he said.
“I have further assured the SAPS of the City’s full support in the ongoing investigation.”
Alderman James Vos will continue to as acting Mayco member for Human Settlements.
Weekend Argus last week reported that Booi's office was raided by members of the SAPS commercial crimes unit, who seized documents, cellphones, laptops and other electronic devices.
Weekend Argus reliably learnt that the investigation relates to low-cost housing tenders that were issued between 2017 and early this year.
Insiders claimed that five other offices were also raided.
"Booi was taken by surprise and was upset that he had not been pre-warned," alleged one insider.
Attempts to reach Booi on his cellphone were not successful.
Meanwhile, the GOOD party said while they welcomed Booi’s removal, they called on the DA to deal with all those implicated in criminal offences.
“The latest decision by Hill-Lewis follows a police raid at Booi's offices last week as part of ongoing investigations into fraud and corruption in the City’s housing department,” said the party’s councillor Suzette Little.
“The investigation into these allegations at the Human Settlements directorate has been ongoing for sometime, with officials raising alarm as far back as 2020. The public deserves an honest update.
“The mayor must provide clarity on what more he learnt about Booi’s conduct that he did not know last week when he announced his ‘suspension’.”
In 2020, crime activist Hanif Loonat opened a case against The Construction Company for alleged irregular or fraudulent transactions worth millions of rand with the City of Cape Town.
It was not clear whether the latest raid was connected to the investigation.
But directors of the company and two City officials had appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court on fraud charges.
They are scheduled to appear again on April 14.