The Cape Coloured Congress is racist, brings no solutions and divides the province

YOUR letter “DA-run City is heartless” on February 25, refers.

It’s obvious when political interests arise before elections, inexperienced organisations will make any and all attempts to discredit their competition, which is in fact making a difference in the lives of everyday people.

This simple reality is that the City of Cape Town acted swiftly in response to Covid-19 and on March 20 last year, temporarily suspended new water restrictions for water debt. An suite of rates and debt relief was opened to residents for those severely affected by the pandemic.

The Cape Coloured Congress is a racist, nationalist political party which makes a great noise and offers no substantive solutions. It is founded with the goal of racially dividing Cape Town to achieve political power – no different to its forebearers such as the National Party and the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB).

So allow me to not play politics with people’s lives but to share the true state of our City. Certainly, things are not perfect or where they should be – but Capetonians live a fundamentally better life then their South African peers.

When the South African Social Security Agency failed to deliver its R350 Covid-19 relief grant to the most vulnerable of citizens, the City of Cape Town appropriated R37million to deliver social humanitarian relief to ensure hungry residents are fed. When the National Cabinet crafted regulations which destroyed our local economy, the City of Cape Town never stopped in fighting for the safe opening of our hospitality and other industries such as marine manufacturing, clothing and textile production, call centres and many others.

Despite many illogical regulations within lockdown during 2020, the City, through its strategic business partners, created more than 7600 jobs. The City of Cape Town has set aside R3.3 billion for indigent relief to ensure our most vulnerable residents have guaranteed access to basic services that they can count on, regardless of their economic predicament.

In the end, even the greatest political hack must admit that in Cape Town residents are able to live lives of value where they have the best possible opportunity for success compared to our fellow South Africans in Durban, Kimberley or Bloemfontein.

We will continue to work hard to make progress possible, together. When you go low, we go high. Not for politics, but for people.

CARL POPHAIM | City of Cape Town councillor (DA)