By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) in the Western Cape has confirmed that it has suspended troubled councillor Malusi Booi from all party political activities.
This follows his suspension from all political party activities this week.
Western Cape DA leader Tertuis Simmers said that Booi had finally been served with the intention to suspend papers.
Simmers said that Booi was given 24 hours to tell the party why it shouldn’t suspend him from its political activities.
However, he did not respond.
Simmers explains: “Councillor Booi did make contact with the party. He did acknowledge receipt of our letter which indicated our intention. He never gave reasons why we shouldn’t suspend him from all party political activities. As such, with effect from the 29th of March, he has been suspended from all political party activities and he has been informed accordingly.”
The suspension prevents Booi from attending the DA’s Federal Congress scheduled for this weekend. Although Booi was not going to contest this time around, the congress would serve as his build-up for the Western Cape provincial congress scheduled for November, where he was expected to contest for the provincial leader position.
Booi’s troubles started just over two weeks ago when the police’s Commercial Crimes Unit raided his City of Cape Town offices in the Civic Centre and seized Booi’s phone and other staff members’ devices, and documents.
This led to the quick suspension of Booi by the executive mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis from the Mayoral Committee where he headed the human settlement’s portfolio
The DA convened an urgent meeting last week after Booi was removed from Cape Town’s mayoral committee following a police raid at his offices.
Police raided Booi’s offices as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of fraud and tender irregularities.
The investigation into Booi, and the raid are believed to be linked to the construction mafia operating in the Cape and the irregular awarding of tenders to certain construction companies for the building of low-cost housing.
Booi joins City of Cape councillor Nora Grose who is also suspended from party activities. Grose is currently out on R10,000 bail after she was nabbed by the Hawks for alleged misappropriation of funds.