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Zille warned of attack plot
19/05/2006 21:09 - (SA)
Theuns van der Westhuizen and Ziegfried Ekron, Die Burger
Cape Town - A visit to friends and voters in Khayelitsha by mayor Helen Zille on Friday night had to be cancelled following threats that striking security guards were planning to attack her.
Her personal protection has since also been boosted.
A clearly upset Zille said on Friday night that she had wanted to visit a restaurant in Khayelitsha to discuss matters with friends and voters.
Late on Thursday evening a senior member of the police, who didn't want to be named, warned her not to go as confirmed intelligence existed that striking members of Satawa were planning to ambush and attack her.
"This is happening now, after I have been in and out of Khayelitsha every week during the past 30 years. Now that I am mayor and able to do something for the people, I am not allowed to go there. A 'tragedy' in the face of the constitution
"It is tragic that there are people who deny others their constitutional rights during this tenth year of the existence of our Constitution," said Zille.
Zille was attacked in Crossroads last month by people who got out of hand at a meeting and threw chairs at the stage. Zille suffered a blow to the head as she was leaving the hall.
Zille apparently heeded the latest warning as it came from Western Cape police commissioner Commissioner Mzwandile Petros. He was apparently informed by the national intelligence agency (NIA).
Police spokesperson Superintendent Billy Jones said police were not able to comment on who had warned Zille or where the information had originated. "We can neither confirm, nor deny the rumours," Jones said.
Lorna Daniels, spokesperson for the NIA, also didn't want to comment, but said if the NIA had received such information, it was their duty to share it with the police. Condemned by ID
Independent Democrats member on the city council, Simon Grindrod, strongly condemned the situation, saying the police should investigate the matter and act against the alleged perpetrators.
"I condemn any threat against the mayor. There is no justification for physical intimidation or even threats of physical violence against a chosen representative, despite political differences.
"The intelligence service must find out from police who had made the threat and ensure that the perpetrators are prosecuted. We cannot allow a situation where our mayor is being threatened and eventually has to cancel planned visits," he said.
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