Councillor’s rants should not surprise
YOUR article “Homeless lash councillor” (November 28) is the clearest indication yet of the racist rot inside the DA that has clearly found favour with its conservative faction.
It is an attack on our democracy for people like Shayne Ramsay to label our homeless as mentally retarded, social outcasts and grime.
People should not be surprised by the rants of Ramsay, though, as the DA has a history of errant public servants who routinely show their true colours without any action being taken against them.
DA sub-council chairperson Ian Iversen, who assaulted a Wynberg resident in 2014, also urged restaurants and shops not to give leftover food to homeless people in the Rondebosch area (Cape Times, April 30, 2008).
Then, in April 2015, DA ward councillor Dave Bryant held a formal council meeting where plans were discussed not only to move beggars away from the Cape Town CBD to “begging zones”, but also to make it compulsory for all beggars to carry identity documents, failing which they would be arrested (Times LIVE).
It also doesn’t help that the City erroneously promulgated the Public Places and Prevention of Noise Nuisances by-law of 2007 as it is inconsistent with the provisions of our national constitution.
The DA waste little time in calling for the suspension of all and sundry whenever pointing out the faults of others. However, they are loathe to act against their own for similar and even worse indiscretions.
Begging and homelessness is not a crime and, as we are already in the season of Advent, those in the DA who are anti-poor should be guided by the words of Holy Scripture: “Of course, there will never cease to be poor people in the country, and that is why I am giving you this command: Always be open-handed with your brother, and with anyone in your country who is in need and poor” (Deuteronomy 15:11). Colin Arendse Wynberg