Cape Town - City of Cape Town safety boss JP Smith is the subject of a council investigation after he labelled civic activist group STOP COCT an ANC front.
Smith made the allegation in response to the Clifton beach eviction debacle. In an email exchange, Smith told STOP COCT founder Sandra Dickson that a woman on her Facebook page had pointed out to him that she (Dickson) “is utterly intolerant of criticism and censor people who say things you don’t like”.
“She said it seems I hit a nerve with you. As they say in Afrikaans: ‘ As die skoot klap dan tjank die jakkals’,” Smith wrote. Dickson said Smith’s utterances were simply untrue.
“The utterance that we are an ANC front shows that he is so far removed from reality and the public that he has no idea what effect your decisions, actions and utterances have on the public.”
STOP COCT was formed in December 2017 in a bid to tackle the City’s proposed high water, sanitation and electricity tariffs. It has about 14000 active members.
“Since inception it was abundantly clear to our members that the City is selectively adhering to the law as it uses this requirement as a ‘tick’ box on its way to impose tariffs and by-laws on the public, which is strongly opposed by most people.”
Dickson has lodged a complaint with council speaker Dirk Smit.
Her complaint says: “The members of STOP COCT want to see that council rejects such a frivolous and insufficient response in no uncertain terms. It is clear to us that this senior mayoral committee member has no intention to be accountable or responsible for his accusation; nor is he willing to engage in community issues by responding coherently to the serious community issues raised in the letter.”
Smith’s response, posted on social media by DA ward councillor Angus McKenzie, said his comments were directed at Dickson only.
“I don’t for a second believe that everybody who participates in STOP COCT is involved with the ANC, that would be ridiculous. Everybody there has their own reasons.
“Many of the persons involved are concerned about legitimate issues, but some are part of various political organisations other than the ANC as well. Many agendas are served on groups like this - some legitimate, some less so,” Smith said.
But Smith said he was “quite confident” that the core of the Facebook page was heavily politically biased.
“And driven by an ANC narrative, possibly by people in ANC employ who do no other work other than engaging in continuous and disingenuous attacks on the City and the DA, based on huge amounts of misinformation.”
An official in the speaker’s office said the matter would be attended to.
“Further feedback in this regard will be provided as soon as our office is in a position to do so.”
ANC provincial secretary Faiez Jacobs said: “For the DA to infer that these organisations and individuals forming part of STOP COCT are just a front for the ANC once again exposes the racist arrogance of the DA to imply they are being managed by the ANC. As the ANC we agree with most of the STOP COCT demands and share their gatvolness.”
@JasonFelix