Child-rights activists on Wednesday called on Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool to ensure controversial Central Karoo municipal manager Truman Prince is removed from office.
Prince, who has been embroiled in a series of controversies, including involvement with child prostitutes, was suspended by the municipality and then reinstated at the end of last month.
About 20 activists on Wednesday staged a noisy protest outside the provincial legislature in Cape Town, chanting: ”We want Truman out of the office.”
Representatives of the children’s rights organisation Molo Songololo and the Karoo Centre for Human Rights handed over a memorandum addressed to Rasool, which was accepted by an official from the province’s department of social development.
The organisations said in the memorandum that people holding high office have an obligation to respect children’s rights.
”It is therefore with extreme regret that we learned that Mr Truman Prince is being reinstated as manager in the Central Karoo district municipality,” they said.
They said it is not clear whether the African National Congress-dominated municipality cares about the abuse and exploitation of children.
They called on Rasool to intervene ”to rescind the decision” to have Prince reinstated.
”Our children deserve to be protected from office-bearers who seek to do them harm and those who show sexual interest in children.”
Molo Songololo spokesperson Patric Solomons said he understands that the ANC, which has suspended Prince from its ranks, will discuss his suspension at the end of this month.
”However, we believe the ANC can intervene — the Karoo municipality is predominantly made up of ANC members — and have the reinstatement cancelled,” he said.
Spokesperson for the Karoo Human Rights Centre Vuyisa Jantjies said the provincial ANC has to give political guidance, and that the premier and local government minister Marius Fransman should intervene to ensure social justice. — Sapa