Disgraced former community safety MEC Albert Fritz said he is moving on from the scandal that ended his career. Picture: File
A year after a sex scandal abruptly ended his 40-year-long political career, former DA leader Albert Fritz says he just wants to move on while his detractors claim he got off lightly.
The 63-year-old was the Western Cape MEC for Community Safety and later resigned as DA leader in the province, after a report by Advocate Jennifer Williams found that allegations of sexual harassment against Fritz by four women over a four year period, were substantiated.
The women levelled eight claims of sexual misconduct that ranged from inappropriate sexual comments, touches, kisses and sex that sometimes occurred on work excursions.
To date Fritz has not been charged criminally over the allegations despite police opening an inquiry in January last year.
Police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut said they were not aware of any cases registered against Fritz.
The civil organisation group Action Society’s Ian Cameron criticised the lack of action taken against political figures facing such allegations.
“It’s not an uncommon problem among politicians, but the sad reality is that there’s no consequences for people who commit these heinous crimes,” said Cameron.
Bianca van Wyk from anti-GBV lobby group, Leading for Change said the way political parties handled similar scandals was at time not in the best interest of the victims.
“I believe political parties place party reputation above seeking justice for the victims and giving them support,” said Van Wyk.
“I think the DA took the necessary action when a formal allegation was made. However, it cannot be established how long this exploitation in this department had gone on or if any allegations were made in the past.”
Fritz, who previously only addressed the public via press statements, spoke to Weekend Argus this week where he labelled the allegations against him as “rubbish”.
“I walk in towns where people celebrate me,” said Fritz, in an interview from his home in an upmarket area in the northern suburbs of Cape Town earlier this week.
“Anyone can see through the allegations, it’s rubbish,” said Fritz while standing in his living room in a short sleeved blue shirt tucked into a light blue short.
He was busy watching news channel eNCA with his wife Dianne when a Weekend Argus team arrived.
“I didn’t allow anyone to let me suffer ... I still have a life, I am still going out ... no one will dampen the spirit that we had,” said Fritz.
Asked what he was doing these days, Fritz said he was “retired”.
“I am retired, with my character intact ... I am writing a book,” he said, adding the book would be about his personal life. A publishing date has not been set yet.
His wife Dianne said as far as she was concerned the scandal was a chapter they considered closed.
“It was bad that time, it was really bad ... it’s over and done with,” said Dianne.
“Before this we lived a good life, a happy life, but we’re going on and moving forward,” she said.
DA councillor in the City of Cape Town, Carl Pophaim, in his personal capacity, said he was still reeling over the scandal that ended his mentor’s career.
“Albert was my mentor and it was a difficult period for me personally,” Pophaim said.
“What broke my heart was the fact that you had a man who worked in the public sector for 40 years, he was a well-known ANC MK freedom fighter, he was a school teacher, he worked for the Department of Correctional Services, he was a Member of Parliament, he worked with the most vulnerable people,” said an emotional Pophaim.
The DA’s communications director Richard Newton, said the party did not want to comment further on the matter.
Four staffers from Fritz’s office faced investigation from the Western Cape government that led to David Abrahams and support officer Michael Kwaaiman being dismissed while his spokesperson, Wade Seale’s contract ended when Fritz was fired by Premier Alan Winde.
The fourth employee Lazola Ndubela saw his contract end in June after allegations of the misuse of government property and/or resources emerged. Allegations which Ndubela denied claiming they surfaced after he could not be linked to the Fritz saga.
Miché Solomon, also known as Zephany Nurse, who was an intern in Fritz’s office, said she would be willing to testify in court if the matter went that far.
Weekend Argus.
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