DA challenges Philip October’s Cricket World Cup role as Hawks conviction resurfaces

Ask AI 4minDA Western Cape leader Tertuis Simmers.

Questions over the appointment of advocate Philip Johannes October to the 2027 Cricket World Cup Local Organising Committee have intensified after a December 2024 Hawks statement recorded that he and his company were convicted on 146 fraud and tax-related counts, despite October denying any conviction.

The dispute follows allegations by DA Western Cape leader Tertuis Simmers about October’s alleged Patriotic Alliance (PA) links, his appointment as a non-executive director in August 2025 and concerns surrounding the Ticketpro controversy.

Simmers has accused the PA of cadre deployment and questioned the role of party leader and Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie, while October has dismissed the allegations as a politically motivated smear campaign. The outcome of sentencing proceedings scheduled for February 2025 remains unconfirmed.

Simmers accused the PA of practising ANC-style cadre deployment, alleging that politically connected party members were being placed in influential positions while others were excluded.

He claimed October served on the PA’s regional executive, was part of PA candidate Cheslyn Daniels’s campaign team and acted as the party’s legal adviser in Cape Town.

Simmers also questioned October’s appointment in the context of the controversy surrounding ticketing company Ticketpro, alleging that Sport, Arts and Culture Minister and PA leader Gayton McKenzie had ensured politically connected individuals held influential positions within the LOC.

October rejected Simmers’s claims in a separate statement, describing them as “false, reckless and desperate”.

He accused the DA leader of attempting to mislead voters by releasing the allegations on election day, when there was limited time to respond.

October said his appointment as a non-executive director in August 2025 was lawful and based on merit.

“Being a lawyer who has represented the Patriotic Alliance does not disqualify me from public service, any more than DA-aligned professionals are disqualified from the boards they serve on,” he said.

He also denied having any direct or indirect interest in Ticketpro or any ticketing company, describing the attempt to associate his name with the controversy as guilt by association.

Simmers questioned October’s criminal history, alleging that he had been convicted of tax fraud.

The Hawks issued a statement on December 3, 2024, confirming that October and his company, Xiphos Security Services, had been convicted by the Bellville Regional Court on December 2, 2024.

The statement records convictions on 146 counts involving fraud and tax-related offences, including failure to pay VAT, tax evasion, Pay As You Earn (PAYE), Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) contributions and the Skills Development Levy.

The Hawks said the matter was postponed to February 3, 2025, for sentencing.

October disputed Simmers’s account of the proceedings and denied having been convicted.

“Convicted of tax fraud is false. I have not been convicted of any offence,” he said.

He argued that Simmers’s statement contradicted itself by describing him as convicted while also claiming that the matter remained before court.

The Hawks statement records convictions, while October disputes the characterisation of his legal position. The outcome of the February 2025 sentencing proceedings has not been established in the information available for this report.

Simmers linked his concerns about October’s appointment to the Ticketpro controversy, alleging that McKenzie had ensured PA-connected individuals held influential positions within the organising committee.

October denied any connection to the ticketing company, saying he had no direct or indirect interest in Ticketpro or any ticketing business.

He described the attempt to link his name to the controversy as guilt by association.

Neither statement establishes that October had a financial or operational interest in Ticketpro or was involved in its ownership or ticketing arrangements.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) had not responded to media enquiries at the time of publication.

October said the latest allegations were not the first time he had been targeted by the DA.

He said the PA had previously approached the High Court over statements made by Simmers during the election campaign.

The dispute relates to allegations of vote-buying during three George by-elections. Cape Times reported that Simmers had filed responding papers in the Western Cape High Court after the PA challenged his claims.

The court proceedings should not be confused with a finding that Simmers’s allegations were false.

October described the latest statement as another example of what he called the DA’s attempts to attack individuals when it could not win on its record.

“To the voters of the Western Cape: do not let a desperate election-day smear decide your vote. Go out and vote,” October said.

Simmers, meanwhile, argued that the PA could not be trusted in government, accusing the party of putting political associates ahead of public accountability and service delivery.

He called on voters to support the DA, saying the party represented accountable government and would prevent what he described as political chaos.