DA to lay corruption charges against unrepentant Beaufort West Mayor 

27 January 2016

Despite the Mayor Truman Prince’s hollow claims that he has done nothing wrong and the ANC’s complete inaction in removing this mayor the DA will be proceeding with laying corruption charges tomorrow at the Beaufort West Police Station. 

Truman Prince, ANC Mayor of Beaufort West is unapologetic about the exposed corruption in the letter he wrote to CETA Chairman, Raymond Cele, requesting that a tender be given to a construction company sympathetic to the ANC for the purposes of pilfering the funds meant to empower local construction companies. This is for the sole purpose of getting an undue “cash injection” for upcoming the Local Government Elections and robbing local construction companies in the process. 

This reveals that the party is not at all concerned with the lack of service delivery, mal-administration and subsequent joblessness this leads to.

The Mayor insists that his actions were beyond reproach, claiming that his infraction is above board because the Chairperson did not respond. This “no harm, no foul” defence is simply indicative of how the ANC justifies the unjustifiable. 

He told the Times Live that “We are an ANC-led municipality, we are therefore in need of financial injection for our 2016 local government election campaign and therefore will also want to see construction companies sympathetic and having a relationship with the ANC to benefit, in order for these companies to inject funds in our election campaign process."

He further defends his actions by saying "In that letter it doesn't say I am looking for R25 million or R50 million. I said... the ANC when we get this skills centre we will go through our own procurement and get a tenderpreneur who can do the job and which the ANC will benefit at the end of the day. According to me there is nothing wrong."

That the Mayor cannot see that this request rises to the level of intent to commit corruption and we contend that this is in contravention of section 3 of The Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act 12 of 2004. This also amounts to a breach of the separation of party and state. 

Incidents like this make it clear that the ANC’s sole preoccupation is for their personal coffers and holding onto power by any means necessary, all the while bleeding the state dry. 

Subsequent to this ludicrous request the CETA embarked on its own procurement processes, despite the mayor’s request. 

Justifying corruption by saying that he is trying to create opportunities for the poor is ludicrous. The poor continue to be poor due to incompetent and unrepentant criminals only interested in titles and their financial benefits. 

Statement issued by Phumzile Van Damme, DA National Spokesperson, 27 January 2016