The departure of former Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) CEO, Helen Botes, from the City comes as no surprise to the Democratic Alliance (DA). While some may see this as the end of a chapter, DA is clear that this will not be the end of accountability.
Note to Editors: Please find English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku here and here
For years, the DA has raised the alarm over corruption, maladministration, and mismanagement at the JPC under Botes’ leadership. We consistently highlighted her role in the neglect of City properties, the collapse of building management, and the failures that culminated in tragedies such as the Usindiso Building fire, which claimed 76 innocent lives.
The DA has already opened criminal cases against Helen Botes and senior JPC officials for violations of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), following damning findings by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU). Further, a culpable homicide case has been opened against Botes for the totally preventable loss of lives in the Usindiso fire.
We have formally requested the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), National Treasury, and the Presidency to intervene, apply consequence management, and ensure accountability for all her alleged wrongdoings.
These efforts are now bearing fruit. With the matter elevated to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), and with civil society organisations, such as OUTA, lodging proceedings in the Johannesburg High Court to have Botes declared a delinquent director, the DA has been vindicated in its long-standing warnings that she should never have been allowed to remain in her position for so long.
We have however received information that she is still working as an advisor in the Executive Mayor’s office and we are currently verifying whether the City has been actively working to hide this from the public.
The DA will not relent.
Botes’ exit from the City does not absolve her of responsibility, nor should it shield her from criminal or civil accountability. Johannesburg residents deserve justice, and we will continue to fight for it in Council, in the courts, and in every available forum.
This moment reinforces a truth the DA has always championed: political interference, cadre deployment, and the protection of compromised officials collapsed Joburg’s entities. The only way forward is professionalised, accountable leadership that puts residents first.
The DA remains resolute: the fight for accountability is not over, nobody is above the law.