Those who unduly criticize Councillors without understanding the duties of a Councillor, could be shooting themselves in the foot. As a Councillor who fails to embody community interests, will have a short career. In South Africa there are few political representatives who add genuine value thus the regular service delivery protests. Political rhetoric has sadly replaced actual material work.
For example, over decades the city has spent millions on programs to fix the many social ills in society. Managing vagrancy is one issue we struggle with. That few people speak to those directly involved with these issues such as the program managers and ward Councillors, is a problem.
Ward Councillors who operate around the CBD regularly explained how difficult it is to manage vagrancy and the continues building of informal shelters. The problem is ironically simple and does not require a university degree. The numerical truth is, the majority of vagrants do not give a damn and regularly refuse help. They prefer intoxicants and doing what they do. Just ask the officials who work with them? Attempts to avoid the behavior aspect makes a mockery of the vagrant discourse.
The hostile begging, the nasty behavior and the choice to create chaos are not random acts but part of a strategy. While the vagrancy dialog raises itself regularly, what is required is a reality check.
Across the city we have vagrants, who are able to behave. They know that they can scratch in bins only when they clean up after they have messed otherwise they are not allowed into the bins etc.
The point is, Cape Town is a tourist destination and tourism creates work and generates revenue. So to protect the CBD and surrounding areas is vital to our local economy. This suggests that vagrancy must be very controlled in and around the CBD and allowing some to be an irritant is intolerable. We cannot allow people drinking, urinating, defecating and building shelters everywhere as they please.
As a world class city, this will never be tolerated in Tokyo, London, Singapore, Paris or Riyadh.
As citizens, we must protect this city against folk that threaten our collective wellbeing. Already the city is over-run with crazed drug addicts that noisily gesticulate at themselves. Is this our new norm?
Equally general lawlessness threatens our democracy.
In the last election, a 1000 of my party posters disappeared off the poles weeks before the election. According to some vagrants I spoke with, I had the best quality posters to build shelter with?
Cllr Yagyah Adams
Cape Muslim Congress