Cape Town - The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has slammed under-fire mayor Dan Plato's conduct for being unbecoming of the office he holds.
Plato was filmed telling an Ocean View resident to “shut up” when the man demanded answers about service delivery before being confronted by Plato during a walkabout in the area last Friday.
In the video, Plato was in the area to observe the work of the local neighbourhood watch with other officials and residents.
Ocean View resident and community activist Aslam Richards is seen asking the mayor about having a meeting between officials and residents regarding a housing project of Donde Valley and the issue of land-grabs. Plato quickly tells him to “shut up” before Richards completes his question.
In further footage Plato is seen pointing his finger in Richard's face as they get into a verbal altercation, with police officials grabbing Richards by the neck to pull him away from the mayor.
Richards said he would lodge a complaint with the police after Plato intimidated him.
“At one point he got so angry at me that he turned around and came at me, pushed me and put his finger right in my face,” he said.
SAHRC commissioner André Gaum said it was sad to see the mayor losing “his temper and approaching a member of the community aggressively, on the face of it, both verbally and physically. That is not how leaders should respond to concerns raised by citizens.”
Plato's spokesperson Greg Wagner said the mayor would not be answering any questions regarding the incident, and referred the Cape Times to a radio interview with Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith.
Speaking to the Cape Times, Smith yesterday said there was an attempt to intimidate Plato and the community by the Cape of Coloured Congress (CCC) during the walkabout.
Smith said the mayor acted with restraint for 20 minutes, and tried to answer their questions, but at some point the provocation and conflict between the community and the CCC required an intervention.
“The community members started screaming at them, as you can see from the first few seconds of the video which they falsely pretended was somebody shouting at the mayor and is in fact a neighbourhood watch member shouting at Aslam Richards, who is the CCC candidate in the upcoming elections.
“At one point … you can see one of the CCC members pulling all of them back to brief them and thereafter they all mob the mayor simultaneously after their cameraman has positioned himself for the shot that he is looking for,” he said.
Richards however refuted Smith's claim. “I did not wear any political T-shirt. I was there as a resident of Ocean View.
“I am the founder and director of the Cape Flats wellness centre in Ocean View and I am a strong community worker. That is why I was there.”
CCC president Fadiel Adams slammed Smith for being “extremely scant” with the truth.
“The mayor should learn to follow through on his consistently hollow promises and frustrated taxpayers will not need to engage him on the streets.
“People have a right to communicate their issues with the form of government closest to them. In this case it is the local government. If the alderman and the mayor feel that they are above answering their citizens all they need to do is say so,” he said.
Following widespread criticism on social media, Smith said he found it hard to understand what the mayor should apologise for “as he invited CCC members to join us on the patrol and it is evident from the footage that they were in fact in conversation with us at various points, and I believe that the only apology here is owed by the CCC to the residents of Ocean View”.
The ANC said it was not surprised by Plato’s action.
“For months now we have been concerned about and spoken against the thug-like and unbecoming behaviour of (the mayor).
“We have seen how this mayor has continued to be a puppet in the hands of conservative elements in the City.
“We demand that the mayor apologises for telling a resident to ‘just shut up’. Mayor Plato is a disgrace to Cape Town,” said the ANC.