Veteran Saldanha Bay ward councillor and Vredenburg community activist Sucilla Van Tura says DA councillors of colour are expected to rubber-stamp decisions of a powerful white cabal, led by Mayor Marius Koen and MP Eric Marais.
Van Tura, known as “Cilla” and highly respected in her community, resigned as a DA member and councillor in July. She will contest the seat she vacated as the GOOD candidate in the by- election in October.
Interviewed by WAARHEID!, the normally hyperactive Van Tura said she felt so used by the system of baaskap that she found it difficult to get out of bed in the morning. “You must sit there, but you don’t have a say,” she said.
“Ek kon daar gebly het. Ek is ‘n weduwee met geen ander inkomste. Ek het nooit ‘n pensioen opgebou nie. But you can’t sell your soul and your conscience while your people are suffering with nothing to eat,” she said. Cilla has been a ward councillor for 11 years. Her trouble with party bosses began four years ago, when she did not support MEC Anroux Marais for the leadership at its elective conference. Anroux Marais is married to DA MP Eric Marais.
“That Monday, the mayor moved responsibility for housing and the Expanded Public Works Programme away from me – after seven solid years,” Cilla said.
“Here begins my hell,” she Whatsapped DA provincial chair Anton Bredell. Koen has been the mayor since 2016.
Among his first actions was to appoint five political support staff. “We don’t know what qualifications they had, and we were not aware of any job description or interview process. Their monthly cost to ratepayers is R32 000 each.”
They do data capturing and door-to-door canvassing, among other work. The DA has closed its office in Vredenburg (where the Saldanha Bay Municipality has its headquarters) and moved into the municipal buildings; party t-shirts are stashed in the office of the Speaker.
“We talk about the Guptas and the ANC, but the DA also has its own Guptas – the developers. The mayor talks privately to the developers, who fund the DA".
When he conducts negotiations with developers he doesn’t take his Mayco members. There was a pattern of plans being approved by Council but not being implemented.”
In her own ward in Vredenburg, plans to build 200 fully subsidised BNG homes were shelved in favour of the development of partially subsidised GAP housing, without her being consulted.
“I have no problem with GAP housing, but GAP housing for who? Many of our people are blacklisted. They don’t have savings and can’t get pre-approved loans.
They are seasonal workers and fishermen; GAP houses are not suitable for them.
They forced the project because they were delivering to their Guptas.
As their representative, you report back to your community about plans to build a swimming pool and install security cameras.
But they never happen. Conditions for our people stay the same, while Langebaan gets whatever it needs.
If you drive from here to Langebaan you will not believe they are both run by the same municipality.
“Our people know that the mayor is the baas and can change things as he wishes. He doesn’t have to listen to what the community needs.”
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