The Hawks are investigating the transfer of R350m of George Municipality's savings to Old Mutual. The transfer apparently included handsome commission paid to the son of the town's Executive Councillor for Finance Stag Cronje.
Although the DA has been aware of the funds transfer since 2018, Cronje remains in charge of the town's finances.
He must have friends in high places – unlike former mayor of George, Melvin Naik, who was removed by the party when suspected of corruption.
"One rule for the old guard, another for those outside the binnekring," said GOOD Secretary-General Brett Herron, a member of the Western Cape Legislature.
GOOD has been actively trying to prevent a DA cover-up since March 2019, when GOOD Leader Patricia de Lille submitted a dossier of evidence to the Office of the Public Protector.
Now MEC for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning Anton Bredell has been forced to reveal that a criminal docket in respect of the transfer of George's funds was registered in June 2019.
Bredell was responding to questions submitted last month by GOOD Member of the Western Cape Legislature, Brett Herron.
Bredell said a docket involving "allegations relating to fraud/corruption" was registered by the town's Municipal Manager. He understood that issues under investigation "included allegations against the Chief Financial Officer and Councillor Cronje”.
The matter was still under investigation, he said. The decision on "who to criminally investigate" lay with the Hawks.
Herron said good South Africans were sick and tired of stories of politicians' children benefitting from business dealings with the state. "It is very difficult to believe that they aren't linked in any way to proximity to power – and therefore they stink of a lack of integrity.
"As we see in George, the issue is not limited to the children of ANC politicians. Nor is covering up corruption just an ANC thing," Herron said.
"GOOD will continue to ask hard questions. We encourage good South Africans to continue reporting corruption to our anti-corruption desk, that can be accessed through our website," he said.
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