GOOD Statement by Jonathan Cupido
GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor
23 October 2023
The decision by the City of Cape Town Speaker Felicity Purchase to convert this week’s Council meeting into a virtual one is simply an attempt to bully and silence the opposition.
Council meetings cannot be moved online, without a rational and valid reason, and in this case, no such reason has been provided or exists.
Moving it out of fear of disruption, or protest, from opposition parties does not qualify as a justifiable reason to abandon the transparent and democratic processes of public and physical Council meetings.
In fact, the Speaker’s own party, the DA, was disruptive and unruly in the sitting of the National Assembly last week. There is no question that the DA would not accept a decision if the Speaker of Parliament were to decide to move the next sitting to a virtual platform.
The GOOD Party has therefore today written to the Speaker to demand that Council returns to the Chambers of the City of Cape Town on the 26th October 2023.
As the custodian of the meeting, the Speaker has accepted the responsibility to manage and apply the rules of Council to ensure decorum is upheld and the meeting kept in order.
This role must either be fulfilled in an effective manner, or the seat must be vacated.
As GOOD we will not remain silent or accept this abuse of power aimed at keeping councillors out of the meetings they are expected to attend in person, and for which they are paid. It cannot be that councillors in the virtual meeting only need to log in, and then go about their day while enjoying the wages they earn from the money of the taxpayers.
GOOD therefore calls for the urgent rescheduling of the Council meeting to a full in-person meeting.
Media Enquiries:
Jonathan Cupido, GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor
Cell: 084 865 8122
Email: jonathanc@forgood.org.za
Janke Tolmay, GOOD Media Manager
Cell: 073 367 1223
Email: janke@forgood.org.za