Cape Town - Anti-crime activist Hanif Loonat has repeated his call to mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis to release an internal forensic report on corruption in the housing portfolio despite the City having said repeatedly that the report – the subject of a police investigation – remains confidential.
The report relates to a multimillion-rand tender fraud and corruption scandal that led to the arrest last November of eight people, including officials of the DA-led City and directors of several local businesses.
Loonat had joined forces with Cape Coloured Congress councillor Fadiel Adams to fight the City and Ilitha Painters and Decorators, trading as The Construction Co (TCC,) for allegedly defeating the ends of justice in connection with the tender from the City’s housing maintenance department.
The arrests were linked to a complaint Loonat had lodged, requesting the investigation of TCC in October 2020.
Loonat now claims that as a result of those arrests in November a witness has come forward with evidence implicating former Mayco human settlements member Malusi Booi in corruption and related charges.
In his latest appeal to the mayor and the City, Loonat claims the report’s contents are no longer secret; Hill-Lewis should publish the report for Cape Town residents to see for themselves.
The City issued a two-sentence comment in reply to queries about Loonat’s accusations and demands:
“The City continues to co-operate fully with the SAPS in its investigation. Forensic reports are classified as confidential in terms of the City’s Records Management Policy, which is aligned to the National Archives Act.”
In January when Adams raised the issue during a council meeting, Hill-Lewis accused him of grandstanding with regard to making public the controversial forensic report.
Hill-Lewis said at the time: “The City has provided the tender files requested by the SAPS as well as the full forensic report.”
Asked yesterday if he had a copy of the report and if he would share it, Loonat said: “Even if I had it I could not share it. It has to be released by the City.”
He alleged the report shows many people “in high positions as corrupt, something the City cannot afford so close to (national) elections”.
Loonat also issued a warning: “I warn anyone who tries to change the contents of the report that they will be charged with defeating the ends of justice.”
Loonat said Hill-Lewis “brags about transparency, corruption-free audits, and a clean administration. If so, let’s see if he will do the right thing”.
