Delft political row continues

By Rhodé Marshall
24 February 2008

Premier of the Western Cape Ebrahim Rasool has allegedly threatened to sue the Democratic Alliance (DA) for supposedly encouraging people to illegally occupy houses in Delft.

At a press conference held on Friday by the Premier, MEC for Local Government and Housing, Richard Dyantyi, and MEC for Social Development and Poverty Kholeka Mqulwana, Rasool said vulnerable people were deliberately mislead to illegally occupy the houses in Delft Symphony.

DA leader Helen Zille responded in a statement, saying that they found it ‘bizarre’ that the Premier would hold an entire party accountable for the actions of one of its members.


“Rasool knows full well that the DA has never condoned illegal land invasions. This is a point I have made repeatedly,” said Zille.



The premier's spokesperson Shado Twala says that the premier has no intention of suing the DA: "There is a lot of confusion among people regarding claims that the Premier intends to sue the DA but there is no truth to this. What the premier is doing currently is looking into ways in which he can help Thubelisha homes claim the lost R20-million from (DA councillor) Frank Martin," says Twala.

In an earlier interview with ANC spokesperson Garth Strachan, he said that the City of Cape Town as well as the DA should hold Martin, who is accused of inciting the invasions, accountable for his actions.

"If an ANC councillor had led an occupation of white houses in Constantia, there would be an outcry against that and it would be a correct outcry. But because it’s been done by Frank Martin who is a DA councillor in a coloured area, nothing has happened at all," says Strachan.