Cape Town - The City of Cape Town has placed law enforcement officers at some of its housing developments, following allegations that council officials colluded with gangsters to protect contractors on site in Manenberg.
Meanwhile J P Smith, mayoral committee member for safety and security, has confirmed that he is seeking legal counsel to sue the ANC, ANC councillor Tony Ehrenreich and Colin Arendse - who he claimed was working for the party - for defamation after several statements were issued by the party accusing Smith of “fomenting violence” and being involved in covering up the city’s links with gangs.
Smith hit back during yesterday’s full council meeting, accusing Ehrenreich of telling lies.
“I was the whistleblower,” he said.
The ANC had indicated on Wednesday it would propose a motion calling for the dismissal of Smith during Thursday’s meeting, but the motion never made it onto the agenda.
However, it was raised during the meeting when other issues were discussed.
Ehrenreich alluded to the city’s involvement in organised crime during a response to the use of the Old Granary building in Buitenkant Street for the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation.
“Archbishop Tutu would not have colluded with gangsters in the City of Cape Town.”
Ehrenreich’s comments echoed earlier media statements by the ANC which said there was “documented proof that the (city) had been aware that gang members were involved in the security arrangements at a city-related building site”.
An ANC statement alleged that Smith was involved “from an early stage” but that nothing was done about the alleged collusion.
“The ANC has been reliably informed of the ongoing involvement with gangsters and related activities that the City has not responded to earlier.”
Richard Dyantyi, the ANC’s spokesman on local government, said in another statement issued this week that the DA administration was first informed in 2012 of gangsters working with contractors on rental stock upgrades.
Jerimia Thuynsma, of the ANC, said the Manenberg collusion issue was “the tip of the iceberg” when it came to gangsters being used to guard community residential units.
Ehrenreich said the matter had now been reported to the police for further investigation.
Smith hit back at the allegations levelled against him during the council meeting, saying that he had advised the department of human settlements within days of being alerted to the allegations.
“I also called for all information to be shared with the South African Police Service. My e-mails to this effect are in the public domain.”
Smith said the city welcomed an investigation by the police.
Cape Argus