DA wants Roodefontein probed

2003-02-25 20:04

Cape Town - The Democratic Alliance has called for a judicial inquiry into the New National Party's Roodefontein funding furore.

The saga, which has seen the arrest on corruption charges of NNP stalwarts David Malatsi and Peter Marais, is already being probed by the Scorpions and the Public Protector.

And on Tuesday, a Cape Town newspaper reported that questions were being asked over Malatsi's involvement in yet another donations-and-development matter on the Cape coast.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, DA environment spokesperson in the Western Cape legislature Robin Carlisle said there was mounting evidence that NNP fundraisers targeted developers who were awaiting approval for their proposals.

"Behaviour of this sort is at best unethical, and continuing investigation... may soon prove them to be worse," he said.

"The need for a judicial inquiry is now imperative."

The Scorpions are probing suggestions that Malatsi and Marais accepted kickbacks worth R400 000 for the NNP and, in Malatsi's case, for himself, from the developer of Roodefontein golf estate at Plettenberg Bay in return for development approval.

The two men have proclaimed their innocence.

The Cape Times reported on Tuesday that Malatsi, who was then the province's MEC for environmental affairs and development, was present at a meeting last year when the developer of a project at Suiderstrand in the Agulhas National Park was asked to make a donation to the NNP.

Also at the meeting were chair of the NNP's Western Cape finance committee Johan Gelderblom, now acting as caretaker in the environment portfolio, and education MEC Andre Gaum.

Blatant untruths

The newspaper reported that the meeting took place after Malatsi approved the final appeal for the subdivision of the land in June, but while a land rezoning application was in progress.

It quoted the developer, Neil Warmenhoven, as saying he did not believe the NNP request had anything to do with the subdivision application, and that he did not give a donation "because I was no in position to do so at the time".

Malatsi's approval of the subdivision was contrary to the recommendations of the district municipality and his own department, it said.

Gelderblom said in a statement later on Tuesday that the report contained "certain blatant untruths".

He said he had been unaware that Warmenhoven had submitted a subdivision proposal to Malatsi, and in December last year he had in fact reversed Malatsi's earlier decision.

"I have acted correctly at all times. At no point were funds exchanged for favours or for any other reason," he said.

The DA's Carlisle also on Tuesday released a letter to Gelderblom enclosing an affidavit from a George municipal councillor claiming Malatsi approved a controversial subdivision proposal at Wilderness Heights.

The councillor, Dick Smit, says in the affidavit that the applicant was a prominent member of the NNP in the area, and that the approval coincided with tensions over possible defections during the floor-crossing window period last year.

Malatsi could not be reached for comment.

- SAPA