AWOL Malusi Booi out in the cold following suspension from all DA activities

The DA’s Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) in the Western Cape has confirmed that it has suspended troubled councillor Malusi Booi from all party political activities as of 29 March, pending the finalisation of the investigation into his alleged conduct.

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. 

Police said the raid was part of a fraud and corruption investigation which allegedly happened at Booi’s department. 

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. 

A week later, Hill-Lewis axed Booi from the mayoral committee after receiving an update from the police about the investigation. 

Read more in Daily Maverick: Cape Town mayor fires Malusi Booi from mayoral committee after update from SAPS

The mayor said while Booi has not been charged yet, the matters under investigation are, to his mind, serious enough to warrant immediate action to protect the integrity of the City’s government.

Booi has not made any public appearance since the raids at his office and the DA struggled to serve him with the letter of intention to suspend him as he was unavailable either through his mobile phone or at his home address. 

Booi later acknowledged receipt of the letter via a phone call but the 24-hour window afforded to him to provide reasons why the DA should not suspend him from party activities lapsed without his response. 

DA Western Cape leader Tertius Simmers said they had received no feedback from Booi. 

“Councillor Booi was sent a letter of the PEC’s intention to suspend him from all party political activities and gave him the opportunity to provide reasons why he should not be suspended. Cllr Booi, after acknowledging receipt, did not provide any reasons, and therefore, the PEC moved to the said suspension.” 

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.

She was charged alongside Reuben Swartz, the chairperson of the NGO, South African Religious Civic Organisation, for allegedly fraudulently claiming R297,800 from the Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (Ters) during the Covid pandemic and using it for personal gain. DM