5 December 2019
Statement by Brett Herron, GOOD Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament
DA MUST EXPLAIN ITS DEALINGS WITH WESTERN CAPE GANGSTERS
Woman on trial in police-guns-for-gangs case awarded lucrative housing tender
The Western Cape government awarded part of a R46m housing tender in Valhalla Park to the partner of an alleged gang boss after the original building contractor turned his back on the project after being intimidated by gangsters.
Despite being asked for an explanation more than six months ago, and committing to investigate, the DA’s Western Cape leader, and then Human Settlements MEC, Bonginkosi Madikizela, has still failed to provide any answers – while the project has evidently proceeded.
It was confirmed in papers before the Supreme Court of Appeal this week that building contractor, Nicole Johnson, is the partner of Ralph Stanfield, who is described as a leader of the 28s gang. The court was adjudicating an appeal related to a massive police-guns-for-gangs racket involving the Central Firearm Registry.
That Johnson was Stanfield’s wife or partner was first alleged by members of the Valhalla Park community in March. The documents before the Bloemfontein court confirm it.
GOOD movement takes a particularly dim view of this matter as it appears to be a case of the provincial government rewarding intimidation and extortion.
MEC Madikizela had promised months ago to investigate. GOOD has now asked both MEC Madikizela, and his successor, MEC Simmers, for an explanation.
Once again, we are awaiting the arrival of the Premier’s promised “government of higher integrity”, and how the actions of his MECs and Human Settlements Department accord with his billion Rand a year anti-crime plan.
Background to the Valhalla Park housing project:
In 2017 the City of Cape Town’s Valhalla Park housing project, that I was responsible for, was plagued by interference from local gangsters who attacked contractors trying to build homes for almost 800 families.
The building site camp was shot at, twice, and staff were held hostage; then attempts were made to extort site protection money from the contractor.
The Metro Police couldn’t give the construction contractor confidence that his family and staff would be safe, and the contractor walked away from the project in May 2017.
Madikizela offered to step in to get the housing project completed using a contractor on his provincial department’s database. Johnson’s company was contracted to complete part of the project.
Cape Flats residents are terrorised by crime and violence. Awarding government contracts to people associated with the violence rubs salt in their wounds, and insults them.
A government that rewards law-breakers at the expense of law-abiding building contractors is not a government of higher integrity, or any integrity at all.
Ends …