The People’s Movement for Change (PMC) has kicked back in defence of their member and Elsies River Community Policing Forum (CPF) member who came under scrutiny in recent days after a photograph of her and the son of alleged Sexy Boys gang leader, Jerome “Donkie” Booysen, surfaced.
This comes as Provincial Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Anroux Marias, announced a re-election of the CPF. PMC said it was a smear campaign against her, describing it as baseless and a blatant act of political cowardice. They said the DA should clean up their own house following the arrest and charge of former Human Settlements MMC, Malusi Booi, who is facing charges of tender fraud, among others and apparent links to alleged 28’s gang leader, Ralph Stanfield.
Marias welcomed the intervention by the Western Cape Provincial CPF Board after the integrity of individuals serving on the recently elected Elsies River CPF came into question. "A new Annual General Meeting for the CPF will now be arranged to elect new representatives. Verification for eligibility will be done prior to the AGM. This matter also resulted in the CPF constitution being amended to prevent future occurrences of this nature," she said. "Community Policing Forums represent the interests of the community in the policing environment, and members of the CPF leadership have access to potentially sensitive information related to crime prevention operations. It is important that only individuals of the highest integrity serve on such key community structures in order to protect the credibility of Community Policing Forums as key partners in our fight against crime."
Earlier this week, Western Cape community police board spokesperson Rafique Foflonker said they were exploring a process for executive membership to be reviewed and vetted before elective meetings following concerns raised after Claudine Coleridge appeared in a photograph with Booysen’s son.
Coleridge told the Cape Argus in her response and explanation that the photograph was taken on a movie set where other cast members were also photographed.
The photograph was taken at Jet Lounge which was under the ownership of Booysen’s son.
The issue was further fuelled by whistle-blowers who said they were shocked that Coleridge was also photographed with alleged leaders of the Terrible Josters gang. The Cape Coloured Congress at the time in 2021 said Coleridge did so for safety reasons. She also told Cape Argus that the gang members were part of the community on the said day of a soccer event on June 16, 2021, and that she did not discriminate against them.
It was also revealed that 50% of the current (CPF) membership has been declared ineligible to serve by the Western Cape Provincial Police. This was revealed by Nicholas Gotsell, Member of the Select Committee for Security and Justice, who said they had written to Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile and Marias, calling for a complete review of CPF election processes, including pre-election vetting of candidates. Marias also said they would be calling on the CPF board to investigate the matter.
Dan Plato, Treasurer General of the People’s Movement for Change, said this was an attack on Coleridge’s image, who had worked hard in the community servicing thousands of residents. “The People’s Movement for Change (PMC) strongly condemns the desperate and politically motivated smear campaign by the Democratic Alliance (DA) to discredit Leader Claudine Coleridge over a publicly taken photo from years ago. This attack is not only baseless, it is a blatant act of political cowardice,” he said. “Let us be clear: this is nothing more than an attempt to crucify a respected community warrior to deflect from the real scandal facing the DA in the Western Cape, their own corrupt ties to gang-linked companies.”
Plato added that the DA should clean up their own house before throwing stones: “The DA has spent more than R1 billion of taxpayers’ money through the Housing Department on companies directly linked to gangsters. Former Mayco Member for Human Settlements, Malusi Booi, and other DA officials linked to the City of Cape Town, are currently in court over these allegations. Yet, instead of addressing this damning reality, the DA chooses to attack a woman who has spent years supporting grieving mothers and building safer communities in Elsies River.”
“This photo smear campaign is a pathetic distraction from the fact that SAPS has raided the offices of DA Mayco members, including JP Smith, over similar allegations of contracts awarded to gangster-linked entities. If the DA believes a 2021 photo is worthy of public outrage, then surely JP Smith should be fired immediately. Or does the DA reserve its outrage only for community activists who protect the rights and interests of poor communities? Or is this a matter of deflection from their own scandal?”
“Here is the truth: while Leader Claudine Coleridge was out in the streets helping communities ravaged by drugs and gangsterism, the DA was helping gangster-linked companies exploit public funds and grow rich off housing contracts. That nearly R2 billion could have built almost 20,000 homes or eradicated the spatial infrastructure backlog on the Cape Flats.
Gotsell said in response: “The DA stands by its statement that it is non-negotiable that CPF members must be persons of impeccable integrity, impartiality, and independence — not affiliated with political agendas, criminal networks, or gangs. The fact that the PMC is responding to this demand so strongly is telling.”
Cape Argus