ANC wants mayor fired for ‘racist remarks’:
THE ANC wants Saldanha Bay mayor Marius Koen fired and taken to the SA Human Rights Commission.
At the weekend‚ the municipality sparked outrage after it blocked access roads to the Saldanha Bay beachfront and gave access cards to residents in the area.
But Koen said the issue revolved around parking and complaints from residents, and had been blown out of proportion.
Koen said the move was to maintain law and order as visitors sometimes arrived by the taxi-load, resulting in noise‚ vandalism and drunkenness.
The remarks infuriated ANC spokesman Sammy Claassen‚ who called the statement racist and called for the mayor to face the consequences.
Koen said yesterday that residents had complained of bad behaviour and lawlessness outside their homes.
They had been issued with access cards for the street‚ he said‚ but the beach was open as usual for everyone to use.
Claassen said: “The ANC intends to lay a complaint with the Human Rights Commission against Koen for his remarks against the people of Saldanha Bay.
“We will [leave] no stone unturned to call him to account and apologise for his utterances.”
He said the ANC wanted Koen’s immediate removal from office.
Koen was not fit to hold his position or able to defend and respect basic human rights,” he said.
“This shows the mayor’s racist attitude and outlook towards coloured and African people at beaches.”
Koen denied making any racist remarks on the matter‚ saying his statement was taken out of context.
“Last year, exactly the same thing happened, but no brouhaha was made about it at all. I don’t understand why it is being done now.
“Maybe because I am a white mayor and last time it wasn’t a white mayor. Is that the case?”
He said the municipality was responding to complaints from residents about bad behaviour‚ lawlessness‚ noise and vandalism over the festive period.
“I was informed by my law enforcement that it is mostly taxi people that come in.
“I didn’t stipulate what race it was. I didn’t stipulate who was riding . . . I never mentioned which race it was.” – TMG Digital