The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the arrests made by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) in the JB Marks Local Municipality today.

We are encouraged by the arrests of the former mayor, Khotso Khumalo, and the Director for Municipal Services and Local Economic Development, Cyril Henry, who also previously served as the Acting Municipal Manager in JB Marks.

Hopefully, these are the first of a few more arrests needed in cases flowing from a number of charges laid by the DA against the JB Marks Administration involving gross financial mismanagement, fraud and corruption by ANC politicians and compromised officials.

The DA extends its appreciation to the Hawks with the progress made in their investigations into these charges.

The municipality, which has been put under administration for a second time since July 2019, is notorious for its clandestine financial misconduct, lack of transparency and the disregard for and the evasion of questions put by the DA demanding accountability for more than 4 years.

The Member of the JB Marks Executive responsible for Finance, Cllr Kelvin Johnson, while evading questions and frustrating Council proceedings on most financial questions, in exuberant arrogance even went so far to repeatedly challenge the DA to report financial transgressions to law enforcement authorities if it had any evidence.

The DA did exactly that. And now compromised individuals are being arrested.

The current arrests and imminent court proceedings relate inter alia to various financial transgressions including the siphoning off of money from a trust account held at Willem Coetzee Attorneys to, amongst a series of transgressions, the funding of a municipal delegation to party at the Durban July in July 2019.

The DA is aware that the Hawks conducted its investigations in extremely difficult circumstances with little if any cooperation forthcoming from key role players in the JB Marks Administration.

The DA also reiterates its commitment to those JB Marks officials who remain committed to diligently execute their duties, despite doing so in an environment laced with fear where accountability is regarded as snitching. We will continue to support you.

The DA trusts that, as more investigations are being concluded with more arrests and prosecutions to follow, that the JB Marks Administration will become more cooperative and transparent and that financial accountability will eventually become the norm, as it should be.

This will result in real service delivery and value for taxpayer money, and eventually, with the support of voters, elect a DA government in JB Marks, governed by DA standards, delivering quality services to all, as is evident in the Western Cape.

Issued by DA