Cape Town – Lobby group Stop CoCT has questioned how the council can approve of its councillors earning extra income by running their own businesses or by doing work outside council.
The council last week approved requests by human settlements mayoral committee member Malusi Booi, urban waste management mayoral committee member Grant Twigg, and DA deputy chief whip Errol Anstey on their requests to undertake other paid work.
Booi is a director of operations for a wine distributing company operating under the name of Malusi Booi Wines. However, Booi indicated that late last year he decided to step down and focus on his political career.
Booi said his resignation from the company had not yet been finalised.
He said he was not directly involved in the everyday operations of the business as there was someone who deals with the business matters on his behalf. He assured this would not interfere with his duties as a full-time mayoral committee member.
Twigg owns two businesses, a clothing company, Stayoulik, and a “house shop”, Twigg’s Shop. He said his business did not interfere with his normal duties.
Anstey is a director and trustee of various property holding entities. He said some were dormant. Anstey said he does not manage any of the entities or staff, meet with any suppliers or attend business-related meetings, other than on rare occasions to resolve issues.
To date, he said none of his business involvement had detracted from his responsibilities.
The Municipal Structures Amendment Act 3 of 2021 (9) of the Code of Conduct for Councillors provides “that a councillor who is a full-time councillor may not undertake any other paid work, except with the consent of a municipal council which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld.”
However, Stop CoCT founder Sandra Dickson said from a moral and ethical standpoint, this does not gel.
“As things are, many communities are complaining because their councillors are not visible or contactable in their wards. If one looks at council meetings, it is often clear that some councillors are not up to date with the items they address, and many issues are not even debated properly.
“There are just too many instances where councillors could spend more time serving in the position of oversight they have as a result of their existence,” she said.
Dickson said of special concern was that there were no rules or guidelines within which bounds this work was to be done.
“It appears that in this case, councillors will regulate the time spent on outside work by themselves.
“With no oversight, this opens the door for corruption and further lack of oversight over the City of Cape Town administration and service delivery,” she said.
Resident Adele Pote questioned how a ward councillor (or any other public servant) paid by an organ of state, and employed in full-time position, can take on “other employment” and still provide the high standard of service required.
The matter was not debated during the council sitting. However, the EFF was the only party that opposed the proposal.
Cape Argus
