Delft: Cabinet slams officials
2008-02-20 21:47
Cape Town - Cabinet criticised politicians on Wednesday for promoting "race-based" tensions in the different communities of the Western Cape.
Wednesday's fortnightly Cabinet meeting had noted developments in Delft near Cape town, where protests were held about the allocation and illegal occupation of newly built houses, government communications spokesperson Themba Maseko said in a statement.
"Cabinet is satisfied that both the Ministry of Housing, the Western Cape provincial government and the City of Cape Town were doing everything possible to ensure that the waiting list and the house allocation processes were managed as diligently as possible," said Maseko.
Maseko said government would like to appeal to all communities to exercise patience and to respect due process as illegal occupations could lead to "anarchy and unnecessary violence".
Maseko said: "The meeting condemned the conduct of those local councillors whose behaviour amounts to incitement and promotion of race-based tensions among the different communities of the Western Cape.
"Government finds it very unfortunate and unacceptable that politicians would seek to exploit people's concerns for narrow and irresponsible political objectives."
- SAPA