DA must now come clean on lies about gangs!
4 May 2015
The DA is visibly in deep turmoil after the recent exposure of the fact that taxpayer money was indeed paid to gangsters for ‘protection’ or ‘protection services’ in breach of laws to prevent organised crime at City of Cape Town construction projects in poor areas like Manenberg and Hanover Park. The more the DA explains these Mafia ties with drug lords and gang bosses, the more it looks like a suspected cover-up as it is riddled with inconsistencies.
The ANC says the DA owes the Cape public a full explanation of what transpired and why the city has after months of knowing of the transgression not laid a formal complaint at the Police to have this criminal offence properly investigated. Any DA leader who broke the public trust or are found to be in gross dereliction of duty must be removed from their positions as they are not fit to be public representatives.
ANC Western Cape local government spokesperson Richard Diyantyi says: “This is a simple matter. If there was anything untoward, the DA run governments of Cape Town and the Western Cape are obliged by law to report it to the Police. If they did not, they could be charged for illegally aiding, abetting and giving benefit to organised criminals. If they have laid any formal complaint at the Police, the DA must now bring the case number or affidavit as evidence of this - as the Police already indicated this did not happen. Somebody else (one Colin Arendse) initiated the process with a formal affidavit request at least five months after it was brought to the city’s attention.
“It is confusing that the DA run city on the one hand claims to be the whistle-blower, when documentation shows a third party did this. In leaked documentation of the city it was advised by a senior official not to lay a charge with the Police! At a stage it was suggested that a ‘dossier’ be handed to the Police. On the one hand the DA claims its obscure ‘metro intelligence unit’ must investigate the matter, on the other it publicly said (human settlements member of the mayoral committee Benedicta van Minnen is quoted) the city investigated the matter and there was ‘nothing’ to report to the Police. Further to that the DA led Cape Town now says the Police is the only authority that can investigate such a criminal case!
“The DA leaders have a fiduciary responsibility to the residents they serve and to uphold the laws of the country. They and the city are vicariously liable for what is taking place on the construction sites under its control, on its property and funded by them. They are also accountable to the residents of the Cape. They must now clearly tell the truth and not spread doubtful contradictions.”
The DA cannot detract from the investigation with threats. The ANC will not be intimidated in its pursuance of the truth. The ANC also condemns the attempt by the Cape Town safety and security member of the mayoral committee J.P. Smith to abuse taxpayer money for his personal court battles. As an executive member of the city government he must keep in mind the fact that gangsters already looted and laundered taxpayer money through these construction projects on his party’s watch!
Statement issued by ANC Western Cape local government spokesperson, Richard Diyantyi, May 4 2015
