Thomas Johnson - The Blog

A lot has been written about the disaster. In their own ways the two articles cited below, which mention Mmusi Maimane’s taking control of the management of the city’s response, succinctly express the consensus about the DA-run city’s mismanagement of the disaster. Joshua Carstens : “Last week Mmusi Maimane propelled himself into the eye of the storm with a highly publicised town hall meeting. Some people compared it to a church service, with Maimane as the preacher and the rent-a-crowed (mostly DA supporters) as the congregation hanging on his lips.” Simon Grindrod (a former ID member and supporter of embattled Patricia de Lille): “The executive mayor, who has been spearheading efforts for the last two years, is stripped of her powers [re. water disaster] by a deputy mayor [incorrect: Maimane/the DA fedex removed her] who couldn't answer a single question on Day Zero. A political party leader jumps in to take charge, eclipsing his premier only three days after she took ...

There are people, as always, who refuse to believe the objective facts the DA-run City of Cape Town very badly messed up - incompetent, tardy, refused to see the signs, arrogant in their conviction they knew better than everyone, etc. (If CT was an ANC-run city their supporters would be saying the same.) Choosing to put political ideology and loyalty ahead of the facts, they blame others - ANC government, residents who allegedly are still using too much water despite doing all they can, "unforeseen" drought despite 2015, 2016 and 2017 of poor rain, etc. Among the disinformation and alt-facts put out by the city, province and repeated by some media outlets is that over 60% of residents are not saving water. How do they determine that - monthly population census? The city's own figures also say only 200 000 households (out of 1.1 million, or 18%) are not meeting monthly household targets. The fact is lost on the DA and their slavish supporters the city reacted at one...