Winde must widen scope terms of reference to include Fritz’s time as Social Development MEC

30 January 2022

1.Context: A culture of “sex-for-jobs”

Premier Alan Winde has finally confirmed that the “serious allegations” about MEC Albert Fritz’s “conduct”, which led to Fritz’s suspension from the Western Cape Provincial Cabinet, are related to sexual misconduct.

It is now essential that Winde confirms that the investigation will include Fritz’s time as MEC for Social Development and what the terms of reference for the investigation are.

Fritz has served as MEC for Community Safety for just two years. He was MEC for Social Development for eight years.

It is essential that the investigation into Fritz is not limited in its scope to his time as MEC for Community Safety.

Questions must be asked of senior officials in his former department, Social Development, who worked closely with Fritz to determine if, knowingly or unknowingly, they assisted what bears the hallmarks of a crude sex-for-jobs scheme by organising employment for his young victims.

One of Fritz’s former drivers, who is said to bear intimate knowledge of his boss’ activities, has allegedly also secured a position at a Provincial child and youth care center.

In September 2019, during a Gender Based Violence Debate in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, former MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela (also former DA Western Cape Leader) acknowledged a culture in the Western Cape Government that was perpetuating gender based violence.

He told the legislature that “we have a disturbing culture of sex for jobs, sex for tenders, sex for marks etc” and said “let us start by getting our house in order as Government by protecting victims in our spaces”

This is a culture that has clearly been prevalent for a long time and we cannot just condemn it in parliamentary speeches. We need to be seen to be taking real action and no perpetrator should be protected because of any office they hold.

2.Support for the victims: Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women

I understand that some of the women will be afraid of jeopardising the jobs they received within the Provincial Government and of being dragged into a horrible sexual scandal.

The scourge of gender based violence and the abuse of power by men means we must expose and act against those who perpetrate sexual misconduct.

I encourage any woman who is concerned or afraid that the unfolding investigation into Albert Fritz might affect them, and any woman who would like legal assistance and/or psycho-social support in order to tell their story, to make use of available support organisations.

Prior to releasing this statement I contacted the Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children and they assured me that they are available to assist victims with the appropriate legal and psychological support in a highly confidential environment.

The centre can be reached on 083 307 1110 by women wishing to access support.

3.Evidence

I have received shocking information, including a bunch of Whatsapp messages, revealing that MEC and provincial DA heavyweight Albert Fritz was using his position to take sexual advantage of vulnerable young interns and jobseekers in the Department of Social Development.

Several of Fritz’s victims appear to have been recruited from the ranks of young DA members and supporters in a particular area of Mitchell’s Plain.

Fritz has been the DA’s Constituency Head in Mitchells Plain and is the interim leader of the DA in the Western Cape since the previous incumbent Bonginkosi Madikizela resigned last year.

In August and September 2019, I was contacted by an intermediary who said he was seeking help for a group of young victims of Fritz’s predatory sexual behaviour.

The intermediary sent me screenshots of several Whatsapp chats between the victims speaking of their fear of Fritz (who they nicknamed Humpty).

Before I had the opportunity to act, the intermediary informed me that the women feared the impact of the scandal on their lives and jobs and they declined to meet me.

Without being able to support or use the WhatsApp evidence and having the women decline to proceed, laying charges or demanding an investigation, was futile.

In the absence of usable evidence, and without the support of the “complainants”, I had no option but to comply and no basis to proceed.

Since then, on several occasions – most notably while Fritz was on one occasion addressing the Provincial Legislature on the subject of gender-based – I re-established contact with the intermediary, to ask if the women felt readier to proceed, receiving negative answers each time.

But now that Fritz has been suspended, and with Winde confirming that there are other allegations of sexual misconduct, I will hand the evidence in my possession to the police once an investigation has been mounted. This is in the interests of furthering a proper investigation. It is essential that the investigation be conducted by the authorities.

Ordinarily I would provide the Whatsapp messages to the media together with this statement, in the interests of transparency. However, to protect the identities of the victims, whose names and photographs appear in some of the Whatsapp messages, I will instead describe the nature of some of the messages below.

4.What Fritz communicated on Whatsapp

The intermediary sent me screenshots of several Whatsapp chats between the victims speaking of their fear of Fritz (who they nicknamed Humpty).

I was also sent screenshots of a chat between Fritz, himself, and one of his young targets. The chat between Fritz and the young women appears to have taken place while on out-of- town on government and/or DA business.

It appears that accompanying the MEC on these trips was regarded as a form of privilege – not least by the MEC, himself.

Besides swearing repeatedly at the women when she doesn’t appear in his bedroom as ordered, Fritz repeatedly warns her that this will be the last time she will accompany him on a trip.

5.Conclusion

In his position as MEC for Social Development, Fritz had particular responsibilities in respect of the welfare of the province’s most vulnerable citizens. When he was promoted to head the Community Safety Department he had particular responsibilities in respect of the safety of girls and young women, in the context of a society in serious trouble with gender-based violence.

It defies belief that victims of his sexual predation – and, evidently, at least one of his enablers – are deployed in Child and Youth Care Centers.

This is no time for damage control by Premier Winde, who claims to lead a government of integrity.

Fritz must be investigated by competent and independent authorities. That is the role of the police, not an investigator answerable to the Premier.

Issued by Brett Herron, Secretary-General and Member of Western Cape Provincial Parliament, GOOD, 30 January 2022