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THE front page article of 4 April ("Zille jumps into fray") could mislead readers. The Kommetjie Residents and Ratepayers Association would therefore like to correct the following significant inaccuracies:

1. The KRRA was neither invited to attend nor was it represented at the meeting with Helen Zille; 2. This being the case, it would have been difficult for there to have been a "clash" or a "dispute" between the Ocean View Development Trust and the KRRA. [The article stated that "The meeting saw long-simmering tensions rise to the surface as representatives from the Kommetjie Residents and Ratepayers Association (KRRA) and the Ocean View Development Trust (OVDT) clashed." -Ed.]

The KRRA welcomes Helen Zille's commitment to fast-tracking housing delivery within Ocean View. We hope that her involvement signals a commitment from the city to working with civic organisations in our ongoing efforts to find solutions to this complex problem. We are confident that while there are indeed strong differences of opinion, we all share a common vision that can be met through continued engagement and robust debate.

Bruce marvin Chairperson, Kommetjie Residents and Ratepayers Association

REGARDING your article titled "Zille jumps into fray", I would like to point out that the Kommetjie Residents and Ratepayers Association and the Ocean View Development Trust were not invited to the meeting between the Ocean View Mayoral Steering Committee (OVSC) and the mayor and that neither organisation was represented at that meeting.

The purpose of our meeting with the new mayor was to introduce her to the members of the OVSC, to acquaint her with the work that the OVSC has been doing over the past year, and to discuss an urgent way forward for Mountain View.

The OVSC is committed to working with all civic organisations in our area, including the KRRA, to address the housing crisis in Ocean View.

Joan Orgill Ocean View Steering Committee

IAN BROUGHTON, writer of the article, responds: At the meeting, Dee Smythe, who is a member of the Kommetjie Residents and Ratepayers Association as well as the Ocean View Housing Steering Committee, said that the Ocean View Development Trust stood to gain from the Kompanjiestuin development.

Charles Edwards, a member of the Ocean View Development Trust, then defended the OVDT, saying that he worked for the organisation and was tired of the allegations that OVDT and the Kompanjiestuin developers were seen as partners. "There has been this constant undermining," Edwards said. "OVDT is seen to be setting the agenda for the steering committee."

If they were there solely as representatives of the steering committee, then they should have been discreet enough not to bring these issues into the meeting. Furthermore, the meeting with the mayor was not intended to address Kompanjiestuin in the first place, but this topic was introduced by Smythe and Edwards.

In addition to their statements at the meeting, the conclusion that Dee Smythe and Charles Edwards were representing the KRRA and OVDT respectively was further supported by the following:

. Dee Smythe recently issued a press release as a representative of the KRRA, dealing with the issues of Kompanjiestuin and low-cost housing for Ocean View; and . The KRRA and OVDT have engaged in a public debate on the KRRA's website on this issue. It should also be noted that neither Bruce Marvin nor Joan Orgill were at the meeting.

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