Cape Town Mayor Dan Plato accused of breaking lockdown laws
The GOOD Party has clashed with the DA in the Mother City again, after Cape Town Mayor Dan Plato was accused of blatantly flouting the new Level 4 lockdown laws. The public official allegedly pressed ahead with a 25-venue event, which handed out awards for ‘community service’ – and there are now calls for him to resign from his position.
Did Dan Plato break the Level 4 lockdown laws?
Brett Herron is the Secretary-General of GOOD. He has taken his campaign to Twitter, and remains adamant that Plato’s behaviour was ‘unacceptable’, even if sit-down dinners were replaced with takeaway meals.
While the regs expressly prohibit all gatherings @Our_DA & @CityofCT Mayor Plato today went ahead with a main event in the Civic Centre Banqueting hall, with live entertainment, broadcasting to 24 venues across the city where recipients of awards were meant to gather. Unlawful. pic.twitter.com/frdEl8Aye7
— Brett Herron(@brettherron) June 29, 2021
Dear Mayor Dan Plato & @CityofCT. Here is a simple explanation of what a “gathering” is. The fact that you cancelled “sit down dinners” & gave attendees “take away meals” at your events is not how you avoid hosting a gathering. Your awards events were illegal. Pls respect the law pic.twitter.com/n30L1vHHCe
— Brett Herron
Cape Town Mayor denies ‘wrongdoing’
Dan Plato’s office has since offered an explanation, saying that the award ceremonies operated on a ‘collection only’ basis. According to a spokesperson for the Cape Town Mayor, all necessary precautions were taken.
In a statement issued earlier this week, GOOD slammed the event for being ‘reckless and irresponsible’. Political gatherings remain banned while Level 4 restrictions are in place – and the party has questioned his mayoral capabilities:
“All of these gatherings were unlawful and unnecessary. Plato was engaged in reckless and irresponsible political campaigning, at the residents’ expense. Plato should be charged and prosecuted for breaching Section 21 of the Regulations which expressly prohibit all gatherings – including social and political gatherings.”
“It is disgraceful that the Mayor of a major City acted with such defiance and disdain for the law and for the health and safety of the people he is meant to serve. He is not fit to be Mayor, and should therefore resign.”
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