Cape Town - Lambasted, ridiculed and having had his integrity bruised and questioned, Grant Pascoe, former DA chairman in the Cape Town metro, is looking for a job.
Pascoe jumped ship from the DA to the ANC just weeks ahead of the elections, leaving behind a cosy R700 000-a-year-job as mayoral committee member in the City of Cape Town. But he says he does not regret the decision. Pascoe was subsequently deployed by the ANC in the Northern Cape where the ruling party went on to win.
Vowing to continue to be active in Western Cape politics Pascoe said that even if he was out of a government job, he could still serve the people at community level.
“I’m well aware that being Grant Pascoe might mean job opportunities in my place of birth will be hard to come by, but I knew this even before I made the move to the ANC.”
He said it was typical of the DA to turn on its own people as soon as they disagreed or mentioned unhappiness in the party.
“Doors are being shut because people in the Western Cape are dependent on major government contracts. But luckily for me there are people outside government that have decided to offer me a job because they feel I can add value to their organisations,” he said.
As an experienced, street-wise campaigner, Pascoe said he would always be a community activist at heart and would continue to fight for poor, underprivileged communities in Cape Town.
“I will play an active role in building the ANC’s brand, and assisting in building stronger branches.”
He said he was sick of “DA lies”.
“We have to dispel this ugly DA propaganda that the ANC wants to make this province ungovernable. That’s a blatant lie. They’ve painted this image that every black person is corrupt and this we all know is far from the truth.”
Pascoe said he had no firm job prospects in the ANC or elsewhere.
“I didn’t leave the DA for a highly placed position in the ANC and I did not leave for money. Despite the accusations and lies, today I am unemployed but my integrity and self-respect are all intact.”
And while there were some good job offers on the table, they were mostly in the private sector.
“I’m taking a month off, I’m exhausted.”
Cape Argus