Theewaterskloof |Bredasdorp | Napier
Year 2 • Tuesday 3 July 2012 | Tel. 028 214 1294
Die Mall op koers Die kontrak vir die bou van die nuwe inkopiesentrum is verlede week oorgegee aan die bouer, Pieter Stemmet, eienaar van Stemmet Bouers. Van links is Pieter Stemmet, Danie Viljoen, besturende direkteur van Harry Viljoen Eiendomme, Martie Koegelenberg, raadslid van wyk 4,raadsheer Chris Punt, uitvoerende burgemeester van Theewaterskloof-munisipaliteit, Judy van Rhyn, bestuurder, eiendomsbestuur TWK-munisipaliteit en Wilhelm Stemmet, ook van Stemmet Bouers. Sien bladsy 3 vir meer. FOTO: ANNETTE THERON
Bot River: more questions JANINE VAN DER RIET Two people were arrested for arson and the police put on high alert after violence once again reared its head in Bot River yesterday (Monday) morning. According to police, a Somali shop owner was robbed of his television and his house shop set alight while about 30 residents prowled the streets in groups in the early hours of Monday morning. They also tried to set fire to two uninhabited houses between the first and second housing project sections in Bot River. The fire brigade was on the scene before the houses could be damaged. The group is believed to have been made up of former members of the dissolved Bot River Residents’ Association (BRA), whose members have been continually protesting in the area since May this year. The protest has captured much attention in the media – and raised controversial speculation around the driving forces behind it. By the time of going to print, two local men
who were reported to have been involved in driving the illegal protests had not spoken to Gazette about their involvement, or whether the protests are politically motivated to turn the DA-run Bot River into an ungovernable town so the ANC could step in. James Pheiffer, former chairperson of the BRA, dissolved the organisation after a Cape Town–based daily newspaper reported on his past associations with the ANC. Pheiffer reportedly stood as an ANC candidate in the 2011 local government elections. Anthony Appel, in his turn, is listed at number 23 on the ANC’s provincial legislature list in 1999, and a newspaper report from that year quotes him as the regional chairperson of the ANC Overberg region. Neither commented on whether they were still involved with the ANC. A Theewaterskloof Gazette reporter received an SMS from Appel’s cellphone on Sunday 24 June informing her of the next day’s protest. Sent in Afrikaans, it read, “We are having a service delivery protest in Bot River tomorrow. Anthony.”
According to the Theewaterskloof Municipality, last week’s protest was illegal as no attempt had been made to inform the municipality of any grievances, and neither did TWK give permission for a protest. Stiffie Cronjé, spokesperson for the municipality, said that before last week’s protests erupted, resolutions between the BRA and the TWK had been discussed and that everyone was in agreement at that stage. “We had meetings with the BRA, the national Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and councillors of the TWK, and then compiled and signed the document, containing 42 issues from the BRA, with resolutions from TWK.” The BRA was dissolved before it could sign the document. Appel told Gazette on Thursday, while he was in Johannesburg, that he and Pheiffer would answer the newspaper’s written questions before deadline yesterday morning. He said Pheiffer was in hospital for serious asthma – possibly related to pepper spray used during the protests – and that they
would put a report together on Saturday. Gazette is still awaiting their response. Some of the questions raised were: ) Why was the BRA dissolved? ) According to the Theewaterskloof Municipality, no new memorandum or notice was given for the protest last Monday. Is this true? What was the latest protest about, and are you still planning to give a new memorandum to council? ) Mr Appel, SMSes were sent out the night before last Monday’s protest from your telephone to inform, among others, a journalist about the protest. In which capacity did you send this? ) What is the current and future position of the BRA? Is it disbanded? If so, why? And do you have plans to reinstate it? During an urgent media conference held last week by the TWK council, Mayor Chris Punt said the municipality “absolutely refuses” to believe the protests are related to a service delivery issue. “Rather, it is a commitment to make Theewaterskloof Municipality ungovernable.”