Africa-Press – South-Africa. A disgruntled former GOOD party member has hit back at the party after it reported him to the Hawks over fraud allegations.
Former Drakenstein councillor Edgar Arendse’s membership was terminated by the party following a disciplinary hearing last month.
GOOD general-secretary Brett Herron previously said the party had reported him to the Electoral Commission of South Africa and opened a case with the Hawks under Section 34 of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act.
Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani confirmed the party was investigating the case.
Arendse said the allegations were “blatant lies and there is no truth to it”.
The party alleges Arendse had illegally solicited “membership fees” and “funding” from GOOD members and “donations” from members of the public.
It claimed all this money went straight into his pocket.
Arendse said: “There were no membership fees received from any member who joined GOOD in the Drakenstein Municipality.
“GOOD has never asked for any membership fee, which everyone is well aware of. The municipal secretary and treasurer at the time received R500 from candidates for their posters and backing boards because the party didn’t have the money to supply candidates with posters.”
He added they managed to secure assistance from people and eventually found sponsorship for their posters.
“We have made arrangements with the office that the sponsor pay the money directly into the supplier’s account, of which we received clear direction from the national office.
Arendse said a message was communicated that the party did not have enough money to supply every candidate with posters during the 2021 local government elections at the time he was elected chairperson of the municipal campaign team (MCT).
“We then agreed as an MCT and all candidates that we all are going to contribute to their backing boards. Every ward candidate in Drakenstein received 100 posters and backing boards each, which was not paid for by the party,” he said.
Arendse added he believed the latest move by the party had sinister motives.
“This is a pure attack on my character as an individual, an attack on my political future disregarding my family because of their own agenda that they have pushed to get Peter de Villiers back into council because he refused to work with me,” he said.
De Villiers has been nominated to return to lead the caucus of the Drakenstein Council while also representing the party in the Cape Winelands District Council.
Herron said Arendse was charged after members raised complaints.
“The complaints were investigated and subjected to a disciplinary hearing. Arendse was legally represented in that hearing and found guilty.
“He filed a notice to appeal but abandoned the appeal. The Hawks are investigating him. His attempt to make this about something other than his own misconduct is laughable.
“He’s no longer a member of GOOD, or a GOOD councillor. We leave the criminal investigation to the criminal justice system.”
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