Two high-ranking members of the GOOD Party are facing misconduct allegations involving booze, “gehoerdery”, skinny-dipping during a costly by-election campaign in April.
GOOD volunteers, who were part of the campaign, wrote 18 statements describing how MPL and national campaign organiser Shaun August and Witzenberg deputy mayor Felicity Klazen, both married, allegedly spent their time “sexing” and “partying too much” instead of rallying for votes.
This prompted party founder Patricia de Lille to fly to Cape Town where she summoned members to the Pepperclub Hotel in the CBD halfway through the campaign, on March 16, to address the matter.
The election campaign, which cost the party R200 000, is being described as a “disaster of note” after GOOD received only 10% of the votes – a 2% drop from last year’s municipal elections result in that same ward.
“What happened in Ceres was morsig, the whole election campaign turned out to be a huge disaster,” a party insider told the Weekend Argus.
The party deployed members to campaign over a nine-week period, while booked into the Dennebos/Pine Forest Holiday Resort.
According to invoices seen by Weekend Argus, 30 GOOD representatives were housed in eight chalets. One chalet costs R942 a day.
“The invoices were issued to Klazen.
According to the statements sent to Weekend Argus by a whistle-blower, August, Klazen “and their allies” did anything but campaigning.
“We want to expose this so that GOOD people are not messed up in this drinking and sexing,” the whistle-blower said.
“Shaun August divided the party by partying during the by-election in Wolseley instead of garnering votes.”
The whistle-blower added: “We wrote statements, but nothing is happening.
“The people here are unhappy with the election results, which are embarrassing but are because everyone knows that the deputy mayor was messing around with Shaun.”
One of the statements read: “At one event, Felicity misbehaved by cursing GOOD leaders. She even showed us youngsters her stinking panty.”
In another statement, it was alleged that Klazen walked naked among the volunteers, and apparently skinny-dipped in front of young party members.
“We were all around the pool, but she had no shame in swimming without clothes.”
When Weekend Argus put the allegations to August, he said: “Out of respect for the internal party process, I will not address the allegations at this time.”
Klazen denied the claims made against her.
“I deny these extremely serious allegations against me, which I do not take lightly as a mother, wife and public servant,” she said.
“However, out of respect for the internal party process, I will not address the allegations any further at this time.”
GOOD’s secretary-general Brett Herron confirmed the party held a meeting in Cape Town where party matters were discussed.
“I cannot disclose the content of confidential internal discussions,” he said.
He also confirmed receipt of the statements from unhappy members but said he can’t reveal the nature of the complaints, while an investigation was underway.
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