GOOD Statement by Suzette Little,
GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor & Caucus Chairperson
11 January 2024
The GOOD party calls on the City of Cape Town to withdraw its new Outdoor Advertising by-law which was adopted following an illegitimate process and is now being used to clamp down on freedom of expression.
Late last year, the City of Cape Town jumped to table this by-law, which GOOD warned would be used against expressions of public support for justice in Palestine.
Unsurprisingly, it was adopted by the DA majority despite several concerns raised and following almost no public participation and comment on the proposed by-law.
And, just as expected, our exact fears are now playing out with city officials running around and selectively stomping on freedom of expression.
This week a Palestinian flag on council rental stock was removed shockingly fast, considering how long it takes to have the living conditions inside these flats rectified. The city embarked on an immediate cleaning process, ignoring gang signs, graffiti, and profanities scrawled on other walls across the city.
It’s unthinkable, in a country with a recent history of apartheid injustice like South Africa, that City authorities see fit to curb expressions of support for justice.
The DA City government is in denial that apartheid was a crime against humanity, and therefore doesn’t appear to see anything wrong in the State of Israel’s approach to Palestinians.
Instead of banning expressions of support for Palestine, a more broad-minded City would be proud of its citizens standing up for human rights and justice.
GOOD has highlighted the fact that none of our communities were made aware of the by-law having been put out for public participation, and this is evident from the lack of comments from our communities on the Cape Flats.
The City needs to withdraw the by-law, and publish it again for comment so that all communities can have a say.
Media Enquiries:
Suzette Little, GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor & Caucus Chairperson
Cell: 073 321 5036
Email: suzettel@forgood.org.za
Janke Tolmay, GOOD Media Manager
Cell: 073 367 1223
Email: janke@forgood.org.za