Cape Town - A series of social media posts, allegedly posted last year by a now FF Plus ward 54 candidate Paul Jacobson, has come back to haunt him.
Jacobson has come under fire for a Facebook post where he posted the name, ID number, address and car registration number of Mouille Point resident Peter Wagenaar for apparently feeding the homeless people in the area.
Soon after Wagenaar’s car was torched. Jacobson also caused outrage over a pamphlet which allegedly depicted naked “homeless people” for his political campaign.
In an open letter by Green Point resident, Peter Flentov, he wrote that Jacobson owed the voters of ward 54 an explanation for his conduct and past actions before he could ask them to vote for him.
“You posted a series of posts on various Facebook pages excoriating Mr Wagenaar, stating that he ’need(s) to be exposed and taught a serious lesson’. In your published posts and comments you called Mr Wagenaar a ’delinquent’, an ’egotistical idiot’ and an ’a**hole’. You described Mr Wagenaar’s feeding of the homeless as ’abominal (sic) behaviour’ and a ’blatant transgression’ of by-laws.
“People immediately pointed out that you were being irresponsible by disclosing these details publicly. You deleted the ID number from your post but left the other personal details for all to see and potentially act upon. Why? What were you looking to achieve by disclosing these details?” Flentov wrote in the letter.
However, Jacobson said there were a few community members who supported life on the street and encouraged people to remain on the street and opposed using the services of shelters.
“Myself and my community members belong to my group which represents the majority of residents living on the Atlantic Seaboard who support the homeless through the campaign of giving with dignity and responsibility.
“Many people take advantage of our vulnerable people for their political campaigns. It's not through compassion but to get exposure and votes and destabilise institutions and that is not in my nature. I do my best to engage with the vulnerable on the streets to encourage them to seek shelter,” he said.
Jacobson said he was running for ward councillor because the DA-run City was failing communities in the province, especially in the Atlantic Seaboard where the ocean was polluted with sewage, litter, harassment and mugging of tourists and visitors while the destitute were left to die on the streets.