Court Orders Gayton McKenzie To Hand Over Documents in Corruption Probe

• The Western Cape High Court ordered PA president Gayton McKenzie to hand over documents to forensic investigators probing Central Karoo District Municipality corruption
• A Sandton gala dinner in 2022 raised R3 million, intended for service delivery, but records show the funds went into a law firm's account instead of the municipality's
• McKenzie defended the arrangement, saying the fundraising was a personal project done with municipal knowledge because no local government funds were available

WESTERN CAPE— The Western Cape High Court has directed Patriotic Alliance (PA) president Gayton McKenzie and a linked law firm to hand over documents to forensic investigators examining corruption allegations at the Central Karoo District Municipality.

According to Daily Maverick, the order arises from a Section 106 investigation launched by Western Cape Local Government MEC Anton Bredell into allegations of maladministration, fraud, and corruption at the municipality. As part of the probe, the court instructed law firm Botha E & Erasmus Y Inc to provide information connected to a 2022 Sandton gala dinner that generated R3 million in funds.

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R3 million gala dinner under the microscope

The dinner was held during McKenzie's tenure as mayor and was presented as a fundraising effort for service delivery projects. However, records reviewed by investigators indicate the money was deposited into the law firm's bank account rather than into a municipal account, raising questions about how the funds were managed and accounted for.

McKenzie, who was recently slammed for his R31 million FIFA World Cup bill, pushed back against the characterisation of the arrangement as improper. He described the fundraising initiatives as personal projects he undertook with the knowledge of the municipality, explaining that they were necessary because local government funding was not available. He maintained that the raised money belonged to the project itself and that the municipality contributed no public funds to the associated expenditure.

PA commits to cooperating with investigators

The PA confirmed its members would cooperate with the investigation. PA head of legal Eugene Botha said service providers and law firms involved would furnish investigators with the requested documents and private bank statements, though these would be redacted to protect the privacy of individuals not party to the legal process.

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Botha added that McKenzie had been willing to share the information throughout the process, but raised concerns about what the party described as factual inaccuracies in the judgment relating to ticket pricing for the gala dinner. The PA indicated it would seek independent legal advice on the matter, citing the need to protect private citizens from what it characterised as the potential abuse of state power.

Read a tweet about the case here:

Gayton McKenzie claps back at Herman Mashaba

In a related article, Briefly News reported on the recent public confrontation between McKenzie and ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba regarding a ticket giveaway for the upcoming rugby match. The exchange drew widespread attention, with both leaders defending their respective positions on community sporting initiatives.

Source: Briefly News