I am an opposition councillor in the City of Cape Town representing the Al Jama-ah political party.
Our party has not hesitated to cross swords with the mayor, especially when in our view she implements the policies of the DA that entrenches white rule, white generational advantages and white privilege.
Her strategies to woo African voters in support of the DA infuriated us, as it was at the expense of the people on the Cape Flats living in previous so-called coloured areas.
We have nevertheless supported her when it is clear she was using her position to address the imbalances of the past as a respected Struggle activist.
On the whole she has done us all proud, and that is why Al Jama-ah has gone on national television stating that she has done a good job during her tenure, and we even acknowledged her outstanding contribution during the drought in Cape Town.
We used our speaking times
during the last three council meetings to sing her praises, while her colleagues from the former Independent Democrats kept quiet and allowed the DA councillors to denigrate her.
It was the party's view that the charges that the DA laid against the mayor will not pass legal muster and that it will not assist them to fire her.
We were therefore shocked, and told the speaker, that the speaker was complicit in finding another way to remove her as mayor.
Out of the blue, a longer session was needed to complete the agenda, and the speaker declared a 15-minute break.
Immediately after that, a dozen DA stalwarts went into action to get signatures to call for an earlier council meeting, which required a requisition from 50% of councillors.
They even came to our party to get two signatures, sending alderman Van der Merwe, a mayoral committee member, to woo us and other parties.
I understand that rebelling DA councillors were forced either to sign or lose their seats, so the DA got their 50%.
If they lose the motion of confidence on February 15, they are taking no chances and piling charges against the mayor - the latest being soliciting a bribe of R5 million for a tender for fire extinguishers for informal settlements. For the DA to stoop so low is disgusting.
The mayor complained to the speaker that she got an SMS about this irregular conduct during a council session.
To get out of the situation, the speaker, in his normal way, asked that a written complaint must be laid.
I am sure he is not going to follow up and ask for the complaint. His independent legal adviser remained quiet, which is so sad.
The community of the Cape Flats have been marginalised for decades and continue to be the Cinderellas in the city.
Africans have also been disadvantaged, but they are getting preferential treatment, not for the right reasons, in terms of housing opportunities, EPWP jobs, small tenders, and in many economic and social welfare opportunities.
So I make no apologies that we must look at the bigger picture and ensure that a new mayor must be appointed in terms of the demographics of Cape Town, and he/she must have strong Struggle credentials, as the city will be compromised by anyone else compromised by a white iron DA fist.
The residents of Cape Town - just like councillors, who sang the mayor's praises for a half-dozen years - are also quiet, and this is a blot on the City.
Hendricks is the president of
Al Jama-ah