No way to know Booi would be embroiled in housing racket - Steenhuisen

CAPE TOWN - Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen says there was no way to know that disgraced former City of Cape Town mayoral committee member Malusi Booi would become embroiled in a housing racket.

Booi is due back in the Cape Town Magistrates Court on Friday with nine others, including his ex-wife, for corruption linked to his portfolio as the political head of the city’s Human Settlements Department.

READ: NPA asks bail to be set at R200k for Malusi Booi and four co-accused

Speaking at the Cape Town Press Club on Thursday, Steenhuisen said no institution in the world can completely insulate itself from people who join an organisation and then not live up to its values and principles.

“I don’t think you can be judged on who has joined, I think you should be judged on what you did when it came to light that they have not lived up to those values and expectations. And in the case of Mr Booi, the mayor took immediate action as soon as the Hawks came to see him, he removed him from the mayoral committee, and removed him as a councillor.”

Booi was axed as mayoral committee member in March 2023 and subsequently resigned as a city councillor in October, saying at the time he wanted to focus his attention on determining who was trying to set him up.

Steenhuisen said his party should be lauded for immediately dealing with the issue when Booi was exposed.

“You can’t know when someone’s walked into this room today whether they are going to sneak out with some of the cutlery in their handbag. But when you find them, you see what’s happened, you take relevant action, that’s what you should be judged on.”