Maiden’s Cove

Mark Jackson ,Cape Town City Bowl

An open letter to Deputy Mayor Ian Neilson.

We note your insinuations that we have been “spreading lies” (“Petition gaining steam”, Atlantic Sun, July 21). What lies? And why haven’t you bothered to approach us directly to address this?

We note you still have not responded to our perfectly legitimate request to reveal the traffic impact assessment and sewerage reports?

Or a tourism impact report? Failing to consider these issues seems tantamount to a serious dereliction of your duty. (Can the Atlantic Sun perhaps follow this up?)

As for “improving access”, we fail to see any of the 50-odd private landowners giving us free and improved access to our former public spaces?

And how much of the hundreds of millions you collect in rates from the Clifton area, do you actually put back into developing that area? We’ve heard you re-invest less than 0.5 percent?

The truth is, if you spent that money in the area you collect it from, you could afford to upgrade 50 historical Maiden’s Coves, correct?

But let’s not get bogged down in acrimonious details.

You’re missing the main principle.

Public land belongs to all. It is not yours to sell. You are merely custodians of our land.

You are supposed to look after it during your relatively brief time in office, not be selling off big portions of it, on a whim, just to balance next year’s budget, or to make 50 new private-landowners happy. Any proposal to sell large tracts of our precious land should be settled by a 75 percent referendum only.

If you and (Mayor Patricia) de Lille cannot accept your responsibilities to us and to Cape Town, to preserve our public heritage land, for now and future generations, then unfortunately you are no longer fit for public office, and you both must go, now.

We are sorry to politicise this issue, but you put us in a corner.

You’ve ignored so many serious objections, not least from our important ratepayer associations, from across the peninsula, protesting a wide-range of issues.

Again, we urge the DA to stop the sale of our public land at Maiden’s Cove and Clifton.

And to the public, we beg you to use your voting-power wisely. And if you care, please sign our petition to make your voice heard on this vital issue. (on www.facebook.com/ SaveCapeTown)