By Lesedi Sibiya-Diplomatic Insider
The MEC of the Western Cape Local Government, Anton Bredell, has said that the province will hear the court application made by the leader of the Patriotic Alliance, Gayton Mckenzie, to stop a provincial forensic investigation into the dealings that took place in the Central Karoo District Municipality.
Mckenzie is seeking to terminate the provincial government’s section 106 investigation into the affairs of the Central Karoo District Municipality. Mckenzie is reported to have raised R3 million at a Gala dinner while he was serving as mayor of the Central Karoo District Municipality.
He claims that it was to undertake the projects that he had announced as a part of a 100 day plan that he was ready to implement. “The projects undertaken included the replacement of bucket toilets in the Beaufort West area, the reopening of public swimming pools at three sites in the District and related infrastructure work.” said Mckenzie.
The controversy lies within the fact that the money raised was never deposited into the municipality’s official bank account, and was made outside of the bounds of financial norms.
Bredell had stated that the application made by Mckenzie is the latest in a series of legal attempts to trigger an investigation into serious allegations which concerned the municipality and he further expressed that the Mckenzie refused to cooperate with the probe in place in regards to the local government in where he had approached the court in May 2024 in which compliance in cooperation was lacking.
Bredell also stated that the serious questions remained the administration of the fundraising initiative in tandem with governance concerns that triggered an independent investigation.
“On a proper construction, the 90-day period marks the point at which the MEC’s role in the matter concludes and jurisdiction over its subject-matter passes elsewhere. The matter does not die at that point as the jurisdiction for the further investigation or action shifts to a higher authority.” said Bredell.