Bo-Kaap residents blame DA for woes

BO-KAAP residents feel the DA is to blame for an array of issues affecting them, saying they will not be pressured into attending “political fronting meetings”.

So said Bo-Kaap Civic Association chairperson Osman Shaboodien as a meeting between DA provincial leader Bonginkosi Madikizela, Cultural Affairs and Sport MEC Anroux Marais, and residents was aborted this week.

Shaboodien said residents wanted to be consulted before a meeting took place.

The DA said they were to meet residents at the Schotsche Kloof Civic Centre but it was locked, and the gathering had to take place outside.

“Next time we meet, it must be from a governmental point of view, not from a political one. Residents had voiced their dissatisfaction in the DA, and feel the party’s policies are to blame for what is happening in Bo-Kaap. No date has been set for consultations yet,” Shaboodien added.

The DA said: “Through our engagements with this community it is clear that they have many concerns which require broader community engagement and consultation, and decisive leadership.

“In this light, we have made a commitment to the residents of the Bo-Kaap that party and government leaders will not only take their concerns seriously, but will convene a meeting of community leaders and stakeholders in order to further unpack the broader issues in the area and discuss possible solutions. Following this engagement, it is our intention to convene a broader community meeting to engage residents and discuss the way forward.”

Last month, the SA Human Rights Commission had been ordered to facilitate talks between developers and disgruntled Bo-Kaap residents regarding concerns over construction in the area.

Bo-Kaap Civic and Ratepayers’ Association executive member Mohammad Groenewald said they planned to appeal the court’s interdict.

Of concern was the preservation of the area’s culture and history.