Cape Town - After holding his fire on persistent allegations that he manhandled a DA councillor, Beaufort West mayor Truman Prince tore into his critics, saying he would no longer be a punching bag.
Love or hate him, Prince made it clear this week that he was here to stay, virtually daring his political enemies to step up and face up.
“Truman Prince is in the building,” and the gauntlet has been thrown as he taunted his accusers and critics, issuing a public challenge for his political rivals to take him on at the polls on August 3.
Read: Truman Prince linked to ‘assault’
“To those so keen of accusing me of violence: I am no ruffian. But I am a fighter. I am a champion of the people of Beaufort West and the Central Karoo…
“Take me on at the polls on August 3, but be advised that should you harm my brand, you’ll get it. As of right now,” he said.
Describing the claims made by a traffic official and a councillor that he roughed them up as “unadulterated nonsense”, the Karoo politician said the story was repeated so often it assumed a semblance of truth.
“The dossier of the complaint filed by the Leeu-Gamka traffic official some eight days after the alleged injury, is still retained by the local prosecutor.
“The ‘tarradiddles’ of the DA councillor were rubbished by eye-witness sworn statements. Period. No further speculation can possibly bear consideration. The facts are clear. The lies, too, are clear,” he said.
And Prince was not apologetic, saying he was not surprised he continued to draw attention.
“It does not surprise me that my political opponents – who regularly receive wallopings at the poll, at public meetings and in council sessions – would do most everything and anything to get at me to constrict my effectiveness and efficiency,” he added.
Warning that he was most certainly not a “vanilla, garden variety politician”, Prince gave notice that all unsubstantiated reports spread about him – knowingly, purposely or designedly – in the media, on social media and by public utterance, “will be professionally traced to the source and the culprits held to strict account to the full extent of the law”.
Prince added he was not the kind of politician who shrunk at his duty for fear of negative publicity.
“I offer no excuse for being a public figure and for living a large life. My people must always know that their lives are as important and as special as mine.
“My people must never doubt that they can be all they dream to be. My life bears witness to this state of mind.”
Adding he was zealous about his people, Prince said he considered politics his career, and his image as a serious matter.
“I have a duty to promote my image, my career, my brand, in order to achieve even more for the people I serve.”
Vowing to keep on fighting for the rights of the underprivileged and poor, Prince said he continued to push the envelope and reset boundaries.
“The extraordinary problems facing my people by the double bane of apartheid and slow reform, demand extraordinary solutions.
“I am a champion of the people of Beaufort West and the Central Karoo,” he said.
Cape Argus