Malusi Booi, the Cape Town mayoral committee member fired in 2023, has been arrested in what appears to be a major construction tender investigation linked to 28s gang suspicions. In that year, allegations surfaced that Booi accepted cash gratifications from underworld figures.

Former City of Cape Town human settlements mayoral committee member Malusi Booi, who was fired in 2023 after his official office was raided during a corruption investigation with offshoots leading to organised crime suspects, has now been arrested.

While the South African Police Service has not yet named him because he is yet to appear in court, Daily Maverick understands he is among those who were detained over two days in a crackdown targeting alleged criminality linked to the City's human settlements directorate.

Allegations previously surfaced that Booi accepted cash from an organised crime suspect or suspects in exchange for information relating to housing tenders. This led to him being suspended, dismissed and resigning as a councillor.

Booi, who simply describes himself as "a farmer" on X, previously brushed off accusations against him, saying the saga had put his life in danger. He later added that he wanted to clear his name and get on with his life.

Daily Maverick understands Booi was detained in the Eastern Cape, where he has a farm, late on Monday, 9 September, and on Tuesday was being brought to Cape Town.

Calls and messages to three cellphone numbers linked to him did...