Madikizela cake probe crumbles after resignations

The investigation into Western Cape DA leader Bonginkosi Madikizela has ground to a halt after the resignation of two people involved in the probe.

Madikizela‚ who is also the housing MEC‚ is facing a inquiry by the Western Cape kegislature conduct committee in relation to his failure to declare a R3‚000 birthday cake bought for him by a friend who does business with his department.

But after the resignation of committee chairman Lennit Max and the registrar of members’ interests‚ Romeo Maasdorp‚ a meeting of the committee on Friday has been scrapped.

Said ANC chief whip Pierre Uys: “The reason they gave me was that there is no registrar [and] there is a resignation of the chairperson.” He had also been told that some committee members would be away for training.

The legislature is hiring a new registrar but the process is likely to be derailed after Uys wrote to Speaker Sharna Fernandez demanding to be included in the recruitment process.

“From the beginning of your process to advertise and finalising applications‚ it was done without the prior acknowledgement of political parties. It is of no avail or ideal to only call for political party participation at the tail end thereof‚” Uys wrote.

Fernandez could not be reached for comment but the provincial legislature had previously confirmed the recruitment of a new registrar following an advertisement for the post.

Uys said he was subsequently informed by Fernandez at a meeting on Wednesday that 12 applications had been received‚ but his party still wants the process to start afresh.

DA chief whip Mark Wiley declined to comment because he was “busy”. He is tasked with presenting the names of candidates for the position of chairman to the conduct committee on behalf of the DA.