Exclusive: Councillor’s scathing attack on Mayor

DA Councillor for Ward 70 , Dave Dewes, has been involved in a protracted battle to get the City to pay the R30 million they owe affordable-housing developers Calgro M3.

The Record obtained a letter from Dewes addressed to Executive Mayor Parks Tau, plus email documentation proving some of his claims.

Dewes’ letter addressed to Tau reads, “I am writing to inform you and your party of my imminent mass action and press release. This is in response to a scandalous situation of the City owing R30 million to affordable housing developers Calgro M3. This amount has been outstanding for more than two years, without resolution. After five months of tireless emails and numerous meetings I have not even had an acknowledgement that the situation is being addressed.

“I have exhausted every possible avenue in an attempt to resolve the situation amicably and without resorting to cheap political opportunism. I am appalled by the contempt [with which] you, your MMCs and City officials treat my position as a democratically elected ward councillor. What sickens me even more, is that I have never considered myself as a typical opposition politician, quick to point out the failings of the ruling party but never coming up with solutions.

“No, Sir I gave up my lucrative real estate business for badly paid politics because I honestly believed that my passion to uplift Florida could contribute to a better life for all residents. I assumed this optimistic enthusiasm would be completely wasted outside of main stream politics. My life changing ideas are vast. They focus more on innovative ways of gearing vacant City owned land, to providing thousands of sustainable jobs, in an environmentally sensitive manner. Creating a niche market and providing a brand new, desperately needed tax base for the City.

“Public private partnerships, which go beyond just talking. Calgro M3 have funded the urban design for one of my ideas connecting Soweto with the Cradle of Humankind via a four day urban hike. I wanted to call it “the Freedom Walk” after legendary South African hero Nelson Mandela. This initiative would have been funded by Calgro M3’s Corporate Social Investment programme, if only they were paid what they are owed.

“Many of my ideas have been given elated verbal support from several MMCs and officials, sadly nothing gets followed through. My only logical explanation is [that] you and your party care more about petty politics than really making a difference for Roodepoort residents. This soul destroying attitude has killed my ability to pursue common ground and in turn has evoked the revolutionist in men; forcing my hand since I believe my only disadvantage is the fact that I happen to be white and belong to the wrong political party.

“The last time I took such a drastic action your party tried to fire me. Fortunately the brilliant constitution your party created protected my political butt. Once again I have been given no option but to protest in the most vociferous way possible because of your party’s arrogant, self righteous definition of democracy. Hopefully my protest action will make you and your party think twice before you paint all opposition politicians with your neo-liberal brush. Your current ANC has turned me from a pro-active negotiator into a re-active rebel. I will die fighting mediocrity,” Dewes ends on a dramatic note.