Leon Alhadeff, Table View
The article “Quorum crunch cans TVRA meeting” (Tabletalk, April 5) refers. This association has an established precedent of meetings being open to the public, and especially so for the press.
It was a sad day, when I was present at this meet and witnessed chair Mandy Da Matta insisting that (Tabletalk’s) journalist leave. I even witnessed Captain Marius Nimb being instructed to remove people.
I witnessed an exco member tell Ms Da Matta to leave it alone, that there was no issue with the press or the non-members’ attendance.
Yet Ms Da Matta persisted and insisted, calling the meeting off. I even witnessed Schulla Pronk sign the members list, in complete contradiction to the statement that she is now no longer a member.
How Ms Da Matta can state that it was an exco decision, in contravention of the constitution, is best answered by herself, especially so as only three members of her exco were present at the annual general meeting.
The AGM cancellation was more about ensuring that I had no right of response to the audit report, than what it was about the quorum.
If Ms Da Matta had not expelled or suspended so many members, a quorum would easily have been realised.
Yet so focused is Ms Da Matta on rubbishing my name in her defence, she even forgot to include the financial reports for this period, which is a mandatory requirement, as per the now not so important constitution, that Ms Da Matta refers to.
She is determined not to allow me the right to respond, even though she is well aware that my response, which contradicted the “audit” findings was, with purpose and her knowledge, excluded from the final report. Why is Ms Da Matta so determined to silence me?
She highlights that I am no longer a member of this association, but fails to elaborate further that the exco agreed that I should not be allowed to renew my membership and after I was provided with a proxy, Ms Da Matta then expelled me.
She then suspended the person who provided me with this proxy. Why? In an attempt to neutralise this proxy, Ms Da Matta then states “no proxies allowed” and quotes the accountant, yet forgets that it is she who used 31 proxies to remain at the helm of this association at the special general meeting (August 2016), where she silenced me yet again.
A significant contradiction, when you consider the final report compiled by her accountants highlights the validity of this proxy process just 10 days earlier.
Although Ms Da Matta denies any conflict of interest with the accountants, I stand firm and can support this allegation on two separate levels and welcome any opportunity to do exactly that.
This conflict was never declared and that is a significant issue that demands that Ms Da Matta explain this further and or why she insisted publishing such, knowing now what I know.
I am calling on Ms Da Matta to pay for this forensic audit out of her own pocket and to immediately resign, in the hope that a new chair can rescue this association, if it is indeed even possible.
I am also calling on the entire current exco and especially those, who supported the flawed process that excluded non-member(s) for the general circulation of important City notices, who disrespectfully engaged with the concerned residents, who were party to or who had knowledge of a flawed disciplinary hearing, who allowed community members to be expelled without consultation, who physically blocked a member of this community from attending meetings, who were party to the rubbishing of community members’ names and most importantly those who enabled such to happen – to do the honourable thing now, step up and resign.
The executive committee of the Table View Ratepayers’ Association responds:
A perceived established precedent does not make something the only way to do it, or the right way to do it. The previous exco opened the TVRA up to all, which has its merits from a support point of view.
When you sign up as a member you declare that you are governed by the TVRA constitution. As a non-member, however, you do not have to abide by any constitution, which could potentially risk the reputation of an association.
As for it being a sad day for Mr Alhadeff to witness Ms Da Matta insisting that (Tabletalk’s) journalist, (Orielle Berry) leave, firstly Mr Alhadeff was not present when Ms Da Matta consulted with the exco, which makes his statement nothing more than his opinion.
Ms Da Matta brought the fact that (Tabletalk’s) journalist was present, to our attention, and we discussed it as an exco. In fact, the ultimate decision was to issue Orielle with an official press release the following day, which she accepted.
The depiction of Ms Da Matta being a dictator and the rest of the exco being no more than minions is completely unjustified, not to mention insulting.
Captain Nimb was not instructed to remove anyone, but consulted on what our options were considering the manner in which we were approached.
Has the Tabletalk, at any time, asked why, as non-members, they burst into a members-only meeting in the manner in which they did?
Please keep in mind that the TVRA’s purpose is to constructively facilitate between the City of Cape Town and our members, on matters that affect the Greater Table View residents.
As an exco we have attempted numerous conciliation meetings with Mr Alhadeff but to no avail, leaving us to question his motives as he continuously attacks the integrity of the TVRA, no matter what.
As he is a non-member of the association, the TVRA exco is no longer answerable to Mr Alhadeff.
We cannot reply to every allegation made by Mr Alhadeff, however, we are in a position to confirm that several allegations, contained in his letter, are in fact untrue.
