Statement from Brett Herron, MPL (Western Cape) and Secretary-General for GOOD
5 NOVEMBER 2020
GOOD has asked the SIU to investigate the hijacking of Covid food relief by Saldanha Bay Municipality bosses for party political purposes.
According to detailed information from whistle-blowers in the municipality:
- More than a million Rands worth of food funded by the state and private sector companies – meant for distribution to destitute families during lockdown – was instead used to manipulate the outcome of an upcoming by-election.
- Thousands of food parcels were initially hoarded at the municipal Traffic Department offices in Vredenburg.
- After residents became aware of the food and staged a protest, it was moved to the municipality’s Skilpad Hall in Vredenburg.
- Because of distribution delays some of the food went rotten and was dumped at the municipal dump.
- Remaining food was then distributed to 80 “soup kitchens” operated from the homes of DA “friends”. From there, much of it was distributed as patronage by councilors.
The DA’s ward councilor candidate in the Ward 13 Saldanha Bay By-Election (to be held on 11 November) Michael Scheffers, who is not a municipal employee, was shamelessly appointed “Soup Kitchen Coordinator” by Saldanha Bay’s Executive Mayor and Speaker, the whistle-blowers said.
Diverting food relief to a party’s political campaign amounts to theft. It is also a gross abuse of office by officials at the expense of the region’s most vulnerable citizens.
GOOD has written to the SIU, including some photographs, to request that it investigates this alleged theft and corruption as part of its Covid-19 investigation mandate from the President.
In an effort to protect the jobs of whistle-blowers, we have offered to supply further detailed information directly to the appointed SIU investigator.
* It has also come to GOOD’s attention that piles of cigarettes and liquor confiscated from residents by the Saldanha Bay Municipality under Covid lockdown regulations were looted by municipal officials.
ENDS…