The DA in eThekwini has accused a former councillor of pitting the party’s current councillors against the communities they serve.
Former DA councillor Ethan Ramkuar through his non-profit organisation, Survival Centre has been leading protests over water challenges in Chatsworth and Shallcross in the south west of Durban.
On Monday he led community members to lay criminal charges against the DA ward councillors, holding them accountable for the water challenges.
However, in a statement issued by the eThekwini party caucus leader councillor Thabani Mthethwa, the party called Ramkuar a ‘disgraced former party councillor who wants to archive his political ambitions, disguising himself as human rights activist’. Mthethwa said the party has noted that Ramkuar and his friends have been spreading false information by incorrectly blaming DA councillors in Chatsworth for water issues in the community.
“Ramkuar’s lies cannot stand, and the DA sets the record straight that it is not the DA’s fault that service delivery issues by the ANC-IFP-EFF-run City are causing water troubles in Chatsworth. Ethan Ramkuar clearly has a political agenda.
“He is a failed politician who now disguises himself as a human rights activist. He is a former DA councillor in Umhlathuze Local Municipality in Richards Bay who left the party after an investigation following his arrest on allegations of assault against his then girlfriend,” read the statement.
The DA further stated that having been a councillor himself, Ramkuar knows very well that water supply lies squarely at the hands of municipal officials.
“To demonstrate his obsession with the DA, Ramkuar chooses to single out only DA councillors in an area where there are several ANC councillors,”concludes the statement.
However, Ramkuar hit back at the DA, saying the alleged assault case was a political plot hatched by a DA councillor who laid charges against him.
“The case was withdrawn against me due to the fact there was political interference from the fellow DA Councillors involved. I never ever wanted to leave my position as a Councillor as I was a hard working Councillor.
“I have messages from residents, officials and fellow DA personnel that I worked hard on the ground. The DA should not blame anyone and more especially other parties for their failure in governing Chatsworth as they govern most of Chatsworth,” said Ramkuar.
Residents in Chatsworth and Shallcross staged a protest on Sunday, complaining that they have gone for 27 days without water. Through Ramkuar’s Survival Centre they said they have called on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC, Reverend Thulasiwe Buthelezi to intervene.