George – An alleged inappropriate request for nudes from a schoolgirl has come back to haunt the deputy mayor of George in the Western Cape.
The GOOD party on Friday, (18 October 2024), announced that it has filed a motion to the Speaker of the George Municipality Council to reopen an investigation into Deputy Mayor Raybin Figland.
Allegations, which Democratic Alliance (DA) Councillor Figland has declined to comment on, were that he blackmailed a matriculant to provide nude photographs of a sexual nature.
The matter which dates back to 2021, allegedly involved a then 19-year-old matriculant.
Earlier this year on 26 July, the council accepted a report that found there was not enough evidence to proceed with a disciplinary process against Figland.
However, in a statement Friday, (18 October 2024), the GOOD party said: “It has since emerged that the DA’s own investigation, which concluded in February, found shocking prima facie evidence of serious misconduct”.
The statement added: “An investigation by the DA’s Federal Legal Commission confirmed that Figland blackmailed a matriculant to provide nude photographs of a sexual nature.
“The deputy mayor threatened to expose the girl’s relationship with another boy to her parents if she did not comply.
“The DA’s own investigation concluded that there is certainly prima facie evidence that Figland has ‘committed an act of misconduct in terms of the Federal Constitution’ and ‘as a leader in the local executive government, Figland is expected to show uberrima fides in his conduct, the highest standard of good faith’.”
The statement continued: “Engaging in extortionist behaviour, regardless of the age of the person involved, does not meet this standard by any stretch of the imagination.
“He lies without hesitation and shows no sign of any embarrassment when caught out in his lies.
“The recommendations of the DA’s Glynnis Breytenbach, George Michalakis and Marius Victor go even one step further by suggesting the party should consider possible transgression in terms of the Children’s Act 35 or Criminal Law Amendment Act 32 and that the matter be reported.”
The GOOD party said following this report, the DA saw fit to suspend Figland from party duties while they investigated further.
“However, they left him in a prominent position of power within the municipality,” the GOOD party said.
“GOOD believes we need a zero-tolerance approach.
“Extorting explicit images from a schoolgirl is improper conduct and unbecoming of a public office bearer.”
The GOOD Party said its motion to the Speaker, which has been seconded by the African National Congress, calls on the council to rescind the finding made during the 26 July council meeting and reopen the matter to include the DA’s Federal Legal Commission report.
The GOOD party also called for the investigation to be done by an independent entity with no links to the council.
“The DA has failed to protect the people of George,” the GOOD party said.
“The council now has a duty to thoroughly investigate the allegations against Figland.”
