Appalled at lenient approach by DA towards errant councillor

THE Greater Cape Town Civic Alliance believes it is not an oxymoron to use political leadership, ethics and morality in the same sentence.

The time has come for ethical and moral leadership from our councillors and political parties.

We are justifiably appalled at the manner in which the DA handled the issue of one of their councillors who wrote a letter supporting leniency for a drug dealer and known gangster. This action on the part of the councillor displayed a lack of good judgement. He clearly did not take into account the impact of drugs and gangsterism in the community.

The Western Cape and the Cape Flats are reeling under the onslaught of drugs. Daily we hear of millions of rand worth of drugs being confiscated in the Western Cape.

The damage being done is enormous and if this illegal trade is not stopped we will lose an entire gen- eration of South Africans.

Gangsterism is becoming the sought-after occupation of youth and children, even at primary schools. Yet, this supposed leader of the community sees fit to support a gangster and his party takes this very lightly, if one is to under- stand the sanction correctly. Such a person is certainly not fit to hold public office and should have been expelled from his party. We hope that when the City Council, controlled by his party, considers this matter that they will do the right thing by this community. What is perhaps more alarming could be the reason for the lenient approach by the party. It’s not that it doesn’t have many in the queue to take over his post.

One can only wonder what it is that he brings to the party that makes his continued membership so valuable. To ask him to do community service as a punishment is laughable. Isn’t his function to do community service anyway?

The ratepayers of Cape Town, and especially those in the poorer parts of this City, need to be treated better by political parties. This light slap-on-the-wrist sanction is really a slap in the face for long suffering ratepayers who look forward to ethical leadership. The same applies equally to all political parties, especially those who promote defaulters to higher positions and now take the sanctimonious stance of condemning this action which is not dissimilar from their own actions.

Bam is the Chairman: Greater Cape Town Civic Alliance, and writes from Grassy Park

Slap-on-the-wrist is really a slap in the face for long suffering ratepayers