ANC in Parliament rejects 2 controversial decisions by City of Cape Town

Two controversial decisions by the City of Cape Town have been rejected by the African National Congress (ANC) in Parliament.

The first of those is to auction pieces of public land and facilities.

Delivering a statement to the National Assembly on Tuesday afternoon, ANC member of Parliament (MP) Imraan Subrathie said given the housing shortage in the city, it’s unconscionable that Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis is inviting even foreign bidders to buy the properties.

While the city insists that land appropriate for housing is not being sold off, Subrathie said local bidders will be outpriced by foreign buyers and their building developments will make the city even more unaffordable.

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“We call on national government to interdict the sale and declare an intergovernmental dispute. The DA [Democratic Alliance] wants to sell our land to their foreign friends. They are undermining redress and land justice. All the more reason to vote out the DA in Cape Town later this year and keep them away from running Joburg and other cities in South Africa.”

A second move by the Cape Town City Council to secure the N2 with a security cordon also received sharp disapproval from a former ANC city councillor-turned MP, Thandi Makasi.

She said R180 million can be better spent to bolster visible policing, build more houses, create jobs and provide dignified services.

Makasi said despite public concerns and backlash, the city is being arrogant.

“Let’s call it what it is: Cape Town’s version of Trump’s wall. A shiny, expensive symbol that promises safety but delivers divisions and denials. The DA wants to sell this wall as protection against vandalism and stone throwing, but walls don’t fix crime, they just hide poverty from passing motorists and tourists.”