The Democratic Alliance’s (DA) federal council has censured Cape Town mayor Gerald Morkel and former Western Cape Finance MEC Leon Markovitz for ”poor judgement” at a Saturday meeting.
The federal council met to discuss the findings of a DA internal probe into Morkel’s links with fugitive German businessman Jurgen Harksen.
”The internal commission headed by Professor Dan Morkel, former dean of the law faculty at the University of the Free State, could find no proof of theft or corruption on the part of any DA member,” DA federal council chairman James Selfe said.
However, the commission could not conclude its mandate until the result of the forensic audit of DA accounts and those of Morkel and Markovitz were received.
Selfe said the relationship between Morkel and Markovitz and a person with a record such as Harksen’s was entirely inappropriate and unwise for persons in public office.
”It is something which had the inevitable consequence of grave embarrassment for the party and all its members, as well as the individuals concerned,” Selfe said.
”The DA does not believe that precipitate or arbitrary action should be taken against anyone. It certainly does not believe that it is right or fair to take action against Morkel when the forensic audit of his books and affairs is not complete,” Selfe said.
Selfe said the audit would establish what money was received by the DA. If any donation was received by the DA from Harksen, directly or indirectly, every cent would be repaid to Harksen’s liquidators.
”The forensic audit will establish beyond a doubt whether Mr Morkel or Mr Markovitz profited in any way from Mr Harksen who has made very serious allegations in this regard. Mr Morkel and Mr Markovitz both deny having received any money at all for themselves or for the party from Mr Harksen. They both say they will be vindicated,” Selfe said.
Markovitz has retired from public office and no action is either possible or necessary against him.
Morkel had already stood down from the public and ceremonial aspects of the mayoral position. If the forensic audit or any other investigation revealed that any of the undertakings given to the party by Morkel were untrue, he would be required to resign, Selfe said. – Sapa