IN THE HOT SEAT: Former MEC Albert Fritz
Four women levelled eight claims of sexual misconduct against disgraced politician Albert Fritz that ranged from inappropriate sexual comments, touches, kisses and sex that sometimes occurred on work trips.
This came out during the sitting of the Western Cape Legislature’s standing committee on community safety on Wednesday to discuss the investigative report commissioned by the provincial government into the validity of the claims that surfaced in January.
Fritz was fired as MEC for Community Safety on Tuesday following the release of the report to Premier Alan Winde.
He also resigned from the DA, though claimed the entire investigative process was unfair and nothing but a political ploy to get rid of him.
Advocate Jennifer Williams, Winde and officials from the Department of Community Safety were grilled by members of the legislature on the investigation.
Williams said that she investigated allegations that stemmed from four years ago and spoke to the four main complainants and other witnesses from both sides.
“The complaints gave me a set of allegations ranging from February 2018 to February 2021. There were four primary complaints and eight allegations which I provided to Fritz in detail with regards to what happened,” she said.
“The allegations range from inappropriate sexual comments to inappropriate touching of the complainants, attempts to kiss and kissing without consent as well as sexual intercourse.
“The exact details will give away the details of the complainants and prejudice any future criminal complaints.”
She said one of the complainants was under the age of 21 and some of them were still employed by the provincial government.
Police have said they can only act if a complainant opens a case.
Weekend Argus
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