GOOD Statement by Brett Herron,
GOOD Secretary-General & Member of Parliament
18 August 2023
Over a year and a half has passed since the SIU revealed that the City of Cape Town spent R42-million irregularly on setting up and operating their widely condemned “homeless persons camp” in Strandfontein, in 2020.
In a January 2022 statement, the City said “The City has not yet received the detailed SIU report, and will study this in detail once received. If there is any evidence of wrongdoing, the City will not hesitate in taking action against those responsible.”
In a written response to my questions, the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services has confirmed the city “and/or its attorneys are aware of the SIU’s findings in the above regard”.
But the DA, who prides itself in good, clean governance, has failed to take any action against their members.
The camp was established in 2020 at the start of the Covid-19 lockdown as emergency accommodation for homeless people after the declaration of the National State of Disaster.
It was championed by Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith as the solution for homeless people and was set up using his Disaster Risk Management Department.
DA Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, who was inaugurated in November 2021, and his executive have failed to hold Smith accountable.
The City incurred a whopping R53-million in setting up and operating the camp for just six weeks.
Included in these costs was R43,820,785 for the hire of marquee tents.
The SIU investigation basically concluded what any reasonable person would have realised – that R43-million for six weeks of tent hire was excessive and the service provider “profited excessively”.
But even after the investigation and damning findings, the DA has failed to act.
Instead, the SIU “briefed the Office of The State Attorney, who in turn briefed suitable Senior Counsel on 25 November 2022”.
The silence from the city on this issue is deafening.
It is quite obvious the R53-million could have provided the city with permanent facilities to assist the homeless community.
In failing to hold its members to account, the DA has failed the people of Cape Town.
Media Enquiries:
Brett Herron, GOOD Secretary-General & Member of Parliament
Cell: 082 518 3264
Email: bretth@forgood.org.za
Samantha Jackson, GOOD Acting Media Manager
Cell: 083 550 9875
Email: media@forgood.org.za