Latest news with #HelenBotes
Daily Maverick
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Outa in court bid to declare Joburg property power broker Helen Botes delinquent director over Usindiso fire
The anti-corruption organisation is demanding that Helen Botes – who has been implicated in various other crises in the city – face immediate and decisive accountability. Anti-corruption organisation Outa served delinquent director court papers on Johannesburg Metro strongwoman Helen Botes on Wednesday, 13 August. The papers relate to Botes's negligence in the Usindiso fire in August 2023, in which 76 people were killed. A second case involves Botes's implication by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) in Covid-19 procurement criminality, where R18.6-million was spent on dodgy companies. These providers failed to do the work on City property, and the spending took place even when most City staffers were working from home. (See Mark Heywood's report here.) Botes, like a cat with nine lives, has been implicated in various other crises in the city, including the abandonment of the Metro Centre and the leasing of expensive buildings from an ANC cadre. This property cadre has on several occasions been in arrears in paying the City's bills, as reported here. But, as a powerful member of the ANC region, she has escaped censure. Botes has been the CEO of the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) and a director of the City entity since 2008, and in that role has consolidated her position as an official and political power broker. She was appointed acting COO of Johannesburg in January in unprocedural circumstances, but with Tshepo Makola now back in his position, it's unclear what Botes is doing. JPC spokesperson Lucky Sindane confirmed that Botes has not returned to the entity as CEO. 'The JPC board is studying the court action and will consider its options,' he said. The board is chaired by Simon Motha, who is the deputy chairperson of the ANC Johannesburg region. Mayor Dada Morero is the chairperson. Legal action Outa demands that Botes face immediate and decisive accountability. 'Public officials trusted with life-and-death responsibilities cannot be allowed to walk away from catastrophes without consequences. We owe it to the victims, their families and all residents of South Africa to ensure those responsible are held accountable, and that such a disaster (the fire) never happens again,' said Outa executive director, advocate Stefanie Fick. Fick is using the Companies Act, which allows for an application to the court to declare a director delinquent. 'A court must make an order of delinquency if a director grossly abused this position, inflicted harm on the company or acted with gross negligence, wilful misconduct or breach of trust,' she said. The organisation successfully used a delinquency application against the late Dudu Myeni, who was a wrecking ball at SAA, in 2020. That case took three or four years to finalise, said Outa's Wayne Duvenage, but he added that this case should not take that long since the organisation's standing to bring the application has been decided and is now case law. Outa has used the findings of the Khampepe Commission of Inquiry (chaired by Judge Sisi Khampepe) as the cornerstone of its application to court. Daily Maverick sent questions to the City about the Outa case, and its answers will be added once received. The JPC manages a portfolio of 29,001 properties with a book value of R10.2-billion, many of which are in poor condition due to inadequate management, as evidenced by the Usindiso shelter, the Metro Centre, the Randburg Civic Centre and numerous other properties. (See this report from Carte Blanche, for example.) The City's attempts to squeeze more money out of leaseholders on public properties and green spaces in Johannesburg have caused an uproar, as reported here by Ed Stoddard and Julia Evans. The Khampepe commission found that: The board of directors of the JPC must consider taking appropriate action against Botes, the chief executive of the JPC, for the total disregard of managing the Usindiso building despite knowledge of the disastrous state since at least 2019; Botes gave evidence and answered questions by the evidence leader (of the commission) and, in cross-examination, made concessions indicating awareness of the following relevant facts spanning from at least 2015 until the fire occurred. Since at least 2015, Usindiso Ministries had vacated the building; the building was not zoned for residential purposes; the building had been hijacked, remained occupied illegally and was overcrowded; crime was rife in the building, and the building was not habitable; the building had illegal electricity connections and water consumption; the building lacked firefighting equipment and installations; and the JPC had failed to maintain the property since 2003; and The evidence of the former residents detailed herein indicates without any shadow of a doubt that the Usindiso building was dangerous or showed signs of becoming hazardous to life or property. In contrast, the evidence presented by Botes elsewhere demonstrates that the JPC and, by extension, the COJ were aware that the Usindiso building posed a danger to life or property, yet no steps appear to have been taken to uphold applicable laws to ensure public safety. DM
News24
12-06-2025
- Politics
- News24
How Lotto was looted; Underworld murder-accused shot dead: Today's top 7 stories
News24 brings you the top 7 stories of the day. News24 brings you the top stories of the day, summarised into neat little packages. Read through quickly or listen to the articles via our customised text-to-speech feature. Scandals, shortlists, showdowns: Battle for Joburg's top job heats up - Floyd Brink, whose previous appointment as Johannesburg's city manager was ruled unconstitutional, is on the shortlist for the same position again. - The appointment process is under scrutiny due to concerns about transparency and governance, particularly regarding the potential involvement of controversial figures like Helen Botes. - Mayor Dada Morero aims to finalise the city manager appointment within two months amid ongoing legal battles and questions surrounding Brink's past tenure. Thahasello Mphatsoe/News24 WASTE LAND | Eight months on, Kagiso residents still live in sewage, despite mayor's promises - Mogale City residents are still dealing with sewage spills in their homes, despite promises from the mayor eight months ago. - The Percy Stewart Wastewater Treatment Plant is now releasing cleaner water into the nearby river. - Tourists are returning to attractions around the Cradle of Humankind. Gallo Images/Die Burger/Jaco Marais Underworld murder-accused Andre Naudé shot dead in Parow - Security company owner Andre Naudé was shot dead in Parow, Cape Town, on Thursday. - The shooting occurred on Voortrekker Road, and Cape Town's MMC for safety and security, JP Smith, deployed his team to the scene. - Naude was reportedly with his bodyguard at the time of the incident. KZN official trying to attack ex-DG in R100m fund squabble 'restrained' by guards - KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli is set to launch a R100-million youth empowerment project amid allegations of irregularities in the selection process. - Former DG Nonhlanhla Mkhize allegedly faced intimidation and almost physical harm for blocking funding to unqualified companies, leading to her abrupt resignation. - ActionSA has requested a postponement of the beneficiary announcement pending an investigation into allegations of interference and irregularities in the appointment process. How Lotto was looted: Limpopo farm shows 4-step plan officials used to siphon funds - Investigations reveal a consistent pattern of Lottery fraud where grant money is channelled to corrupt non-profits and then to attorneys, used to purchase assets. - The SIU has identified a four-step playbook for looting Lotto funds: creating/hijacking a nonprofit, securing funding via internal players, diverting funds to a private company, and sending money to attorneys for asset purchases. - Despite freezing assets worth over R100 million, only R9.5 million in cash has been recovered, and few cases have reached the courts, highlighting the difficulty in prosecuting these crimes. Paul Harding/Gallo Images Proteas Day 1 review: Rabada carrying the weight of three Aussie quicks in WTC final - Kagiso Rabada's five-wicket haul wasn't enough as South Africa struggled against Australia's strong bowling attack on day one of the WTC final. - Australia's pace trio of Cummins, Starc, and Hazlewood outperformed South Africa, exposing their batting weaknesses and lack of support for Rabada. - Stuart Broad highlighted that Australia's advantage lies in having three top-tier bowlers compared to South Africa's reliance on Rabada alone. Motorpress
IOL News
07-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
DA lays culpable homicide charges against JPC CEO Helen Botes over deadly Usindiso fire
Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) Helen Botes faces legal action for alleged failure to manage a city-owned building that burned down, killing dozens. Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) CEO Helen Botes is once again facing legal trouble after the Democratic Alliance (DA) opened a case of culpable homicide against her on Tuesday. The charge stems from Botes' alleged failure to adequately manage the Usindiso building in Marshalltown, which was engulfed in a deadly fire in August 2023 that claimed 76 lives. Dozens of others were injured or displaced. The DA announced that the charge was filed at the Johannesburg Central Police Station. The party announced its State of the City Address (SOCA), where it highlighted numerous challenges facing Johannesburg, including the persistent problem of hijacked buildings. The Usindiso building, which had been illegally occupied, is seen by the DA as emblematic of widespread administrative and infrastructure failures throughout the city. The JPC, a municipal entity, is responsible for managing publicly owned properties in Johannesburg. Botes has served as its CEO for 15 years and also holds the position of acting chief operating officer for the City of Johannesburg. DA Chief Whip in the city council, Nicole Rahn, said pursuing the charge against Botes was a necessary and solemn step. 'That building had become a ticking time bomb, illegally occupied, unsafe, and repeatedly flagged to Ms. Botes as a serious risk. Yet nothing was done,' Rahn said. She added that the Khampepe Commission of Inquiry into the fire laid blame squarely on Botes and the JPC. 'Enforcement was neglected, warnings were ignored, and a building owned by the City of Johannesburg was left to rot until it became a death trap.' 'Botes, as the CEO and accounting officer, had both the authority and the obligation to act. She chose not to, for four years,' Rahn said. Meanwhile, DA caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku echoed these sentiments, calling for Botes to be held accountable for what she described as 'incompetence.' 'There has been no accountability. So we opened a case of culpable homicide against Helen Botes because the Khampepe report issued recommendations, and they should be implemented,' she said. The commission found that the fatal fire could have been avoided if the JPC had effectively managed the hijacked property. It is recommended that Botes be held accountable. This is not the first time Botes has faced scrutiny. A 2021 Special Investigating Unit (SIU) report previously implicated her in financial mismanagement that cost the city more than R18 million. IOL Politics
News24
05-05-2025
- Business
- News24
The Lead: Zero accountability in Joburg cleaning tender saga
At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the City of Johannesburg's Property Company entity shelled out more than R18 million in what's understood to be inflated payments, all for deep cleaning and sanitation at its premises. The Special Investigating Unit soon smelled a rat. Still, the entity's CEO, Helen Botes, became the city's acting operations executive (COO) on Monday. And even got the backing of senior advocate Pule Seleka to claim the SIU's investigation into her dodgy contract awarding 'lacked evidence'. But as News24 investigative journalist Khaya Koko says the SIU doesn't buy Seleka's claim: 'The SIU says that's impossible because the municipal regulations are (still) the municipal regulations'. Later in the show, host Graeme Raubenheimer tells us how funds struggle to find their way to the Eastern Cape's school feeding scheme. And finally, Cape Town Comic Con organisers say the festival is among the world's most popular.
Eyewitness News
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
DA opens criminal case against City of Joburg's acting COO
JOHANNESBURG - The Democratic Alliance (DA) has opened a criminal case against the City of Johannesburg's acting Chief Operating Officer (COO), Helen Botes. She is accused of financial mismanagement, which led to R18 million in fruitless and wasteful expenditure. An investigation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has linked Botes to the irregular awarding of a contract in 2021 to provide cleaning and sanitation services to the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC). Botes has a string of corruption allegations against her, but remains one of the metro's most influential top officials. An investigation by the SIU revealed that Botes and four former colleagues inflated quotes submitted to service providers, resulting in financial losses of over R18 million. READ: CoJ stands by decision to appoint Helen Botes as acting COO Although Botes was previously suspended and later reinstated at the JPC, she was ultimately promoted to serve as the city's COO. DA Johannesburg Caucus leader, Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku, is hoping the criminal case opened against Botes will bring some measure of accountability. "We have formally requested that this matter be escalated to the Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority. Johannesburg residents deserve to know the truth and deserve real accountability. This is not about politics, it's about principle." The Khampepe Commission of Inquiry also named Botes as one of the officials who must be held accountable for the Usindiso building fire.
