Malusi Booi has tendered his resignation from council with immediate effect. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane/Independent Newspapers
Axed City of Cape Town Mayco member for housing Malusi Booi has tendered his resignation from council with immediate effect.
This comes after he was suspended in March following a police raid at his offices in connection with an alleged R700 million mega-fraud probe.
Booi said that the decision came after careful consideration about his future and where he currently finds himself.
“I have waited for the longest time, and I thought that there would be a possibility of charges or the ventilation of issues by now, but none of that has happened.
I've decided to go and focus on other things than this because it's almost a year now and nothing has been concluded. I have not been charged so I don't know whether I'm coming or going, hence I decided to tender the resignation today,” he said.
The City’s speaker, Felicity Purchase said that she “has not received any formal, signed notice” from Booi, however, Booi said that he had resigned and the resignation was with the mayor and the chief whip.
Reacting to the resignation, DA Metro Region chairperson, JP Smith said that the party would work on finding a replacement for Booi.
“We note his resignation, and the party will take immediate steps to ensure that the necessary procedures are followed to advise the city and IEC of the replacement,” he said.
ANC Dullah Omar regional chairperson Ndithini Tyhido said that they were not surprised by the sudden departure of the former MMC as they knew all along that the DA has never valued the contributions of any one of their “black leaders” in the recent past.
“It was to be expected from a party that still uses the old ‘apartheid swart gevaar’ as its political strategy as is evident by the picking and choosing by the DA in dealing with internal organisational disciplinary issues,” he said.
GOOD Party caucus chair Suzette Little said that the party “stands firmly” against all forms of “corruption” and therefore welcomed the resignation of Booi.
“He was appointed with the stench of corruption hanging over him.” He was the worst-performing Mayco Member for Human Settlements who oversaw the collapse of housing in the city, while the DA failed to act against him despite this poor performance. The corruption within Human Settlements has placed a further burden on those waiting for housing opportunities. The investigation into this must continue and the outcome published. We cannot allow any public representative to use his position for personal or political gain at the expense of the poor,” she said.
Cape Times