ANC calls on DA councillor to be dismissed

Anele Siwa
31 January 2008

The ANC has condemned the act of DA councillor Frank Martins and calls for his urgent removal from office as councillor.

ANC’s Garth Strachan says it is an undoubted fact that Martins played an active role in the illegal occupation of houses.


“Councillor Martin has incited ordinary people to break the law by invoking the worst sort of racist emotions surrounding the allocation of houses,” says Mcebisi Skwatsha, ANC Provincial Secretary.

According to Skwatsha the DA's silence on a subject as serious as this one amounts to condemnation of his actions.

This matter dates back on December last year when residents of Delft –Symphony illegally occupied houses in Delft and that has resulted in councillor martins being arrested with three Anti-Eviction activists.

“Helen Zille and the DA should take steps to remove him as a councillor without delay,” he added.

“Housing and land are super-charged emotive issues. Left to reckless elements, who wish to use the issue to build electoral support in a particular community, it can open a veritable Pandora's Box of problems with national implications for reconciliation and nation building,” says Skwatsha.

According Skwatsha his party will also refer the matter of Councillor Martin's remark to the Human Rights Commission.

Meanwhile the spokesperson for the Executive Mayor of Cape Town Robert Macdonald says the investigation is in the court dealing with the matter at the moment.

“The ANC’s call is inappropriate and it’s not something from the Mayor to pronounce it,” says Macdonald.