The Hawks are investigating a fraud case.
- Former GOOD party councilor Edgar Arendse criticized the party after his membership was terminated and he reported it to the Hawks.
- The party alleges that Arendse illegally requested “membership dues” and “funding” from GOOD members and “donations” from members of the public.
- The Hawks confirmed that they are investigating.
A disgruntled former member of the GOOD party fired back at the party after he was reported to the Hawks over fraud allegations.
Former Drakenstein councilor Edgar Arendse’s membership was terminated by the party following a disciplinary hearing last month.
GOOD General Secretary Brett Herron earlier said the party had reported him to the South African Electoral Commission and opened a case with the Hawks under Section 34 of the Preventing and Combating Corrupt Activities Act.
Hawks spokesman Zinzi Hani confirmed the game was investigating the case.
Arendse said the accusations were “blatant lies and there is no truth at all.”
The party alleges that Arendse had illegally solicited “membership dues” and “funding” from GOOD members and “donations” from members of the public.
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He claimed that all this money went directly into his pocket.
Arendse said: “No membership dues were received from any member who joined GOOD in the municipality of Drakenstein.
“GOOD has never asked for any membership fees, which is well known to all. The Town Clerk and Treasurer at the time received R500 from the candidates for their posters and endorsement boards because the party did not have the money to provide posters to the candidates.”
He added that they managed to secure people’s attendance and finally found sponsorship for their posters.
“We have made arrangements with the office for the sponsor to pay the money directly into the provider’s account, of which we received clear instructions from the national office.
“The money that was contributed among all the candidates was used for the endorsement boards, and we dealt directly with the vendor that supplied the endorsement boards to the party.”
Arendse said a message that the party did not have enough money to provide posters to all candidates during the 2021 local government election was passed around the time he was elected municipal campaign team (MCT) chairman.
“Then we agreed as MCT and all the candidates that we are all going to contribute to their endorsement boards. Each district candidate in Drakenstein received 100 posters and endorsement boards each, which was not paid for by the party,” he said.
GOOD General Secretary Brett Herron (Photo: Jonathan Lestrade/SON)
Arendse added that she believed the party’s latest move had sinister motives.
“This is a pure attack on my character as an individual, an attack on my political future without regard to my family because of their own agenda that they have pushed to get Peter de Villiers back on board because he refused to work with me,” he said. . .
De Villiers has been nominated to return to lead the Drakenstein Council caucus while also representing the party on Cape Winelands District Council.
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Herron said Arendse was charged after members filed complaints.
“The complaints were investigated and submitted to a disciplinary hearing. Arendse was legally represented at that hearing and found guilty.
“He filed a notice to appeal but dropped the appeal. The Hawks are looking into him. His attempt to do this about anything other than his own misconduct is laughable.”
“He is no longer a GOOD member, nor a GOOD councilor. We leave criminal investigation to the criminal justice system.”
