Plato aimed jibes at De Lille’s administration, accusing it of “delaying tactics” in giving the Bo-Kaap heritage protection and “lying to themselves” about a delayed social housing project in Salt River, which had now been given the go-ahead.
“I want to see the full housing budget used to build houses, and I call on all community organisations to assist us here and not block us from housing delivery. The more that you illegally occupy property, the less time we can spend on delivering houses,” he said.
Plato said his tours of the city had made it clear there was work to do. “Potholes, blocked drains, uncut grass, leaking water management devices, and grime on our streets and sidewalks – these are just some of the basics that we need to get right,” he said.
“Housing needs, street lighting in certain areas, congestion on our roads, a faltering rail service and crime – there is no point in sugar-coating this.
“I want to see these issues addressed, and with urgency, because we are going to continue having honest conversations about these challenges until they are resolved.”