The case opened after police said they found drugs and ammunition at Bergrivier Mayor Ray van Rooy’s Piketberg home has been withdrawn, nearly 10 months later.

In December 2024, police announced that a “substantial quantity” of drugs and a round of ammunition had been discovered on the premises.

Van Rooy was taken in for questioning but was never arrested or formally charged.

Western Cape police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg explained: “Kindly be advised that no one was charged in the matter you are referring to and the matter was withdrawn in court.”

Van Rooy, a Democratic Alliance (DA) mayor, described the day as a horrific one that left his family traumatised.

After many months of the cloud hanging over him, the matter was ultimately dropped.

In February, opposition parties tried to push a motion of no confidence, but were unsuccessful.

DA West Region chairperson Koos Steyn said: “Following 10 months of anguish, the DA’s Ray van Rooy, mayor of Bergrivier, has been vindicated. On 11 December 2024, the mayor’s home was inexplicably raided by police, and what they claimed to find as evidence proved, after forensic lab tests, to contain no trace of any drug and one bullet that was old and rusted and unusable.

“The DA celebrates that in the face of forensic lab evidence showing there was nothing against Van Rooy, the South African Police Service (SAPS) has withdrawn the matter.

“Everything about this matter smacks of a desperate and malicious attempt to undermine a good, hard-working mayor, to remove his mayorship, and smear his reputation as an upstanding community man.

“The DA supports the SAPS’ investigation into finding the perpetrators of this blatant smear campaign. We hope Mayor Van Rooy and his family, who have been severely traumatised by the ordeal, will find justice.

“What this seminal matter must bring about is an approach from the SAPS to ensure measured, fair and equitable approaches when political figures are involved in criminal charges being laid, because opponents have enormous motivation to open spurious criminal charges, or plant evidence, in attempts to smear the reputations of those they cannot beat at the ballot box. That cannot become a political tactic in South Africa.

“The DA is making public that although Van Rooy has been cleared, and the matter dropped, attempts to intimidate the mayor have not stopped. Over the past two weeks, the mayor has faced death threats and three attempted burglaries at his home.”

Steyn added that they strongly condemn this criminality and are happy that the SAPS has since launched an investigation into this.

“For the people of Bergrivier, it is encouraging that in the face of personal attack, there has been stable and uninterrupted service delivery to Bergrivier residents. We commend the tenacity of Mayor Ray van Rooy, and we thank the people of Bergrivier for their ongoing support.

“We will follow this matter closely to ensure that those behind it are brought to justice. It is time for the right people to be arrested and appear in court, rather than a hardworking mayor who is being targeted.”

mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za 

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