The mayor of the Overstrand Municipality (OM), Dr Annalie Rabie, strongly condemned the protests which lead to the closure of the R43 at Hawston and Mount Pleasant.
“The protests last Thursday and Friday are nothing but a scapegoat for political shenanigans by opportunistic individuals in an effort to destabilise governance and create chaos for their own benefit,” Rabie said. “What is of further concern is the perceived criminal undertone to these protests. Children are being used as so-called cannon fodder, to throw stones and petrol bombs at motorists and the police on the R43. This modus operandi reminds of the criminals using the youth to carry out illegal activities knowing that they are too young to be prosecuted.”
Last week, various communities expressed their discontent with the Overstrand Municipality about the increase on individual municipal accounts and poor service delivery and the protests were allegedly triggered after a public meeting that was held in Hawston on 2 August.
According to a press release from the OM the mayor was summoned to a public meeting, and should she not come a threat was made that the R43 will be closed at Hawston.
“What happened was that the mayor did attend the meeting, left after about one and a half hours, after meeting became rowdy, and still did they close the R43 with burning tyres and other obstacles,” the press release stated.
Rabie says that good service delivery for everyone is important to the OM and that they go out of their way to meet everyone’s needs. “We worked tirelessly to bring services to all of its residents and even amended its Indigent Policy at the July 2023 council meeting to provide additional support to the most vulnerable households, meaning that many more households can be assisted with indigent grant support. However, it is a fact that there will be increases in the individual accounts, as had always been the case at the start of every financial year. This is no reason for damaging public infrastructure and compromising the safety of law-abiding citizens,” she said.
On Monday, the Land Party led by Louis Gardiner, held a peaceful march to the municipal office. According to Gardiner he is not happy with the mayor’s comments. Rabie stated in the press release that he threatened her. “One particular individual, by the name of Louis Gardiner, brandishing himself as a chief with links to the Land Party, has been publicly threatening the Mayor on several occasions that she must be taken out and that he will make the Overstrand ungovernable,” the press release stated.
Gardiner, who is a the chairperson of the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa in the Overberg said this is not true and that he is presenting all the people in the Overberg.
“There is only one race and it is the human race and mayor Rabie is pushing her own agenda. I never threatened her. I warned her that things like this is going to happen. My whole life I dedicated to better the lives of my people. Be it RDP houses or fishing rights, I never received a cent from it. I demand an apology,” he said.
According to him they must get rid of all the rotten apples in the councils to restore order in the Overberg. “I want to thank the people of Hawston, Mount Pleasant, Kleinmond,Stanford and Zwehilhle for always having my back and most importantly the leadership of the Land Party of South Africa for supporting me.”
Overstrand things start to fall apart. She is now telling everyone I’m threatening her, but I ask police in her presence why doesn’t they want to take her case and arrest me.all I’m doing was was warning her about things like this that’s going to happen. She is repeating 2018.and me being corrupt and opportunistic and asked her for a job
I’ve been in talk with all Overberg chairperson of the Mayors, and everyone respect me. All businesses appreciate how I orchestrate all protest actions peacefully.in 2018 we went into agreement with the DA after the town of hermanus were closed for more than a week and over 100million rand damage to businesses and infrastructure.then we met with provincial leaders of the DA.Premier Allen Winde and Helen Zille were in agreement. Me personally handed over plots to the people of Mt Pleasant in 2018.now that exact plots are being sold to the people of Mt Pleasant. The DA made a terrible mistake in appointing this Mayor, because everyone in Overberg are aware of her racist approach and doing things her way. Even her own counsel are devided and don’t want to work with her.and if the locals of hermanus are responding then they are wrong.her strategy is to misinform councilors and then she make them being the culprit, but they were just doing what the Mayor told them to go and tell the people. Ever since this Mayor became the mayor of .all I did was as Deputy of the Chainaqua Kingdom and full member of Southern African Khoi and San Kingdom Council Nationally and I’m recognized by all Government Departments. All I did was had meetings with all Mayors in Overberg to inform them that National Government demand Traditional Leaders on every Municipal Council. Now she is saying I’m corrupt and an opportunist. Businesses and Farmers are happy about us doing our protests in a peaceful manner.
