GOOD Statement by Suzette Little,
GOOD Deputy Secretary-General & City of Cape Town Councillor
14 November 2025
The City of Cape Town’s decision to honour Tony Leon calls into question the values guiding this administration.
What extraordinary contribution did Tony Leon make to the work of creating and progressing our democracy?
When communities across the Cape Flats and greater Cape Town suffer indignities and violence that no human should experience, what has Leon done to make democracy work for them?
This gesture feels completely disconnected from the daily realities of violence, poverty, and instability. While our democracy is grounded in a constitution that promises social justice and economic transformation, Leon has been a vocal and party-political opponent of our country’s transformation policies.
As someone who opposes the transformative parts of our constitution – the foundation of our democracy – using a civic honour to celebrate a former leader who opposes those parts of our democratic order that mandate redress makes the decision totally inappropriate.
Civic honours should make sense to everyone who calls our city home. The recipient should be someone who has risen above party politics. Sadly, Leon in retirement hasn’t demonstrated the leadership qualities of a statesman. He remains an ardent defender of a certain corner of DA politics.
Placing Leon alongside individuals who genuinely advanced justice and equality is insensitive and out of touch. It diminishes the ongoing struggles of communities still harmed by the system he helped shape.
Leadership must be accountable to the people, not to political elites.
Cape Town should honour those who uplift communities, not those who contributed to their marginalisation.
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