The Corruption in George

GOOD’s investigations in to corruption in George has uncovered electricity theft by councillors, a VBS-style-investment scheme benefitting the children
of politicians, and other politicians trying to prevent investigations
in to that investment scheme.

Now correspondence confirming that DA MP’s and Provincial Ministers were pushing for cadre deployment in the George government administration has emerged.

GOOD’s investigation has uncovered correspondence showing that the DA’s provincial chairperson Anton Bredell and DA MP James Selfe were trying to irregularly influence the appointment of senior staff in the town.

Selfe told the Mayor of George that a former DA politician, Leon Van Wyk, “had a legitimate expectation that he would be appointed to a position in the George administration.”

Cadre deployment is illegal.

Bredell, who in his political role seems to have also tried to interfere in senior administrative appointments but didn’t get his way, then commissioned a provincial “investigation” in to corruption in the George Municipality.

Bredell’s report recommends that action be taken against the Mayor. GOOD supports all real corruption busting initiatives and if the mayor of George is corrupt, he should be in prison, not in a leadership position.

But we want the whole truth.

All politicians implicated in corruption must be investigated and removed if corrupt. Bredell’s report ignored many very serious issues:

No action is taken against the DA’s executive councillor for finance in George, Mr Stag Cronje. Forensic investigations confirmed that his son benefitted to the tune of R152 000 when R350 million of the municipality’s money was transferred to Old Mutual in a VBS-style investment scheme. Both councillor Cronje and his son refused to provide copies of their bank statements to the independent investigators appointed by the George Municipality.

This corruption (www.forgood.org.za/thevbstruth) was reported to the Public Protector in 2019.

No action is taken against the George Speaker, DA Councillor Gerrit Pretorius, even though Bredell’s report confirms that Pretorius failed to exercise the duties of his office and despite evidence that he attempted to stop an investigation of Cronje’s role in the illegal investment scheme. By preventing an investigation of this illegal scheme, he failed to exercise the duties of his office.

No action is recommended against either Self or Bredell, although the evidence of them tampering in government administrative appointments is clear.

The DA’s protection of Cronje and Pretorius raises questions whether the party may have participated in the windfall from the illegal investment scheme.

That DA Provincial Ministers – Bredell himself – and DA MPs are implicated in attempts of cadre deployment is worrying. That they are controlling these investigations when they themselves are implicated means it is impossible to be impartial.
Given the apparent conflict of interest within the province and the DA, GOOD’s Brett Herron submitted the evidence of political interference in the administration to the National Office of the Public Protector, in February 2020.