LEADER OF THE OFFICIAL OPPOSITION - CITY OF CAPE TOWN

26th January 2012

Open Letter to the Speaker
To: The City of Cape Town
Attention: the Office of the Speaker

Re: Complaint of intimidation and miss use of Public Office by JP Smith

Dear Sir

Please receive correspondence from my offices in respect of a complaint of intimidation and misuse of Public Office.

The complaint is in respect of Mr JP Smith.

I have been advised that Mr Smith had said to people [who I will call as witnesses] that he was going to deal with me, even if he has to set me up. This may just be the ramblings of a leader who does not like to be exposed, for his failings of our people's safety interest or the manipulation of the staff system. Or it may be a real threat to me, I choose to err on the side of caution and ask you good offices to be aware of this unfortunate development.

I will be referring this matter to the Public Protector, as it is an abuse of office and has devastating consequences for the City administration and democracy in the City. It is in part this attitude of leaders of the City who see themselves as invincible and having the right to do as they please [as demonstrated by Ms Belinda Walker utterances in Council recently] because people voted for them.

Well, I would ask the people of Cape Town, if they gave them a blank cheque to deal with political opponents, who expose the DA using City money to fund the rich and cut back on the needs of the poor. It is our exposure of the immoral and unfair spending cuts that we have seen with the budget adjustment, which got the DA leaders so angry.

This is reflected by the fact that the DA cuts funding to the informal settlements and upgrades, in Mitchell's Plain and Khayalitsha, whilst stopping fare increases to Table view My City busses, so working families must have their urgent needs delayed forever whilst the wealthy are subsidised, with their money. This in the face of people in Table View agreeing that they would pay a few rand more on the buss, if it means there brothers on the Cape Flats are going to be prioritised with the money.

Both the conduct and attitude of Mr JP Smith has shown him to be unsuitable for senior offices and posing a direct threat to the administration. The Union members, [of the Metro Police] have already said that they will not allow Mr Smith to use them to try and act against me illegally. This may be why the Mayor said she will fight to maintain control of the Metro Police, because they want to deal with political opponents through the Metro Police.

We are outraged and saddened by this development and call on the office of the Speaker to show his unbiased defence of the Institution of the Council

Yours

Anthony Ehrenreich
Councillor

Issued by Tony Ehrenreich, ANC leader of the official opposition in City of Cape Town, January 26 2012. See the reply by JP Smith here. 

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