This morning I was informed of the arrest of African National Congress (ANC) Councillor and former MMC of Housing, Dan Bovu, and his accomplice for the illegal sale of a City-owned property stand in Vlakfontein, South of Johannesburg. The pair handed themselves over to the police in Lenasia this morning.

Councillor Bovu served as the Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Housing under the previous administration led by Cllr Parks Tau. Bovu currently serves as Councillor for the ANC as well as its Regional Deputy Secretary-General in Johannesburg and was a ward Councillor when he allegedly committed the crime in 2006.

The suspects will appear in the Johannesburg Commercial Crimes Court today where they will be charged with fraud and corruption.

It is alleged that the complainant was looking for a stand in the Vlakfontein area and was introduced to the second accused who allegedly told him that he was working for the Thembelihle Development Trust, which was assisting people to buy stands in the area.

The complainant was allegedly told to pay R5000 for the stand.  After he paid R5000 for the stand the second accused told him to come on a weekend to choose a stand which he likes.

The complainant alleged that he started building the foundation of the house on the stand he chose. When the walls were still being built, the complainant alleged that he was told by his builders that an ANC Councillor (Dan Bovu) stopped them from continuing with building the house. He allegedly left his contact details with the builders so that the complainant could call him.

After he contacted Dan Bovu and visited him in his Zachariyya Park Office, Bovu allegedly told the complainant to pay a deposit of between R2000 and R4000 into the account of the Thembelihle Development Trust.  The complainant allegedly paid R2000 into an account number that was given to him.  He then continued to build until the building was complete.

The second complainant also allegedly approached Bovu about the sale of stands in the area.  He was told that another stand-in Vlakfontein was available for R4000.  The complainant allegedly paid the money into the Thembelihle Trust Account as directed by Bovu.  A few days later, Bovu allegedly demanded a further R1000 which he said was for registration with the City of Johannesburg.

The complainant alleged that he received a call from a friend congratulating him for building a house, he knew that he had not started building and went to investigate.  He met with the first complainant who told him that he bought the same property stand from Bovu and his accomplice.  A criminal case was then opened by the second complainant.

Upon coming into office, the multi-party coalition government became aware of this case and tabled a motion before Council in September 2017. The motion authorised me to petition the NPA to provide reasons for why the case had been declined for prosecution, despite what appeared to be a case with strong evidence. To the credit of the NPA, they have engaged with the call of our Council and acted to ensure that Councillor Bovu has his day in court.

This act of fraud and corruption from within the ranks of the ANC comes as no surprise to the new administration.

For years, the ANC has shamelessly gorged itself on money that should have been directed to the City for improving service delivery and uplifting our people; especially exploiting the desperation of our poorest residents after years of their failed service delivery.

Though the chances are slim, I do hope that the ANC will do the right thing and immediately remove Bovu from their ranks. The commitment to the fight against corruption is truly tested when leaders are willing to act against their own, and this is a test Councillor Parks Tau is yet to pass.

I call upon former Mayor, Cllr Parks Tau, to explain to the residents of our City how this case could have been ignored for so long under his leadership. It is without a doubt that the ANC has been aware of these allegations against Bovu for years and yet decided to sweep it under the carpet.

I also call upon the newly elected President of the ANC, Cyril Ramaphosa, and Provincial Chairperson, Mr Paul Mashatile, to show leadership and walk the talk by taking firm action against Councillor Bovu. This is a test for the new leadership which has, over the past month claimed to be committed to eradicating fraud and corruption from their ranks.

While I appreciate the credit afforded to me in the ANC's statement this morning, the credit belongs to the multi-party coalition government and the EFF who have collectively demonstrated a commitment to cleansing our City of corruption and ensuring justice is served. This is yet another example of how a collective majority of parties in the City of Johannesburg are working to bring about change in our City.

Corruption has no place in this administration and we will work tirelessly, and in collaboration with institutions such as the Hawks, the SAPS and the NPA to ensure that the residents of Johannesburg receive the quality services they deserve.

I would also like to encourage people to report any fraud and corruption activities through our 24-hour tip off hotline 0800 002 587.

Cllr Herman Mashaba
Executive Mayor
City of Joburg