An aerial view of Cape Town.
The City of Cape Town (CoCT) has come under fire for its alleged manipulation of the Municipal Planning Tribunal (MPT), using it as an extension of the city’s planning department and making it an instrument to execute their policies.
The City has come under fire after the first instalment of a planned three-part investigative series by the Daily Maverick has revealed the political capture of the MPT. The MPT is responsible for approving multi-billion rand land-use and development projects, such as the controversial Amazon headquarters at the River Club.
Under national law, members are strictly restricted to a maximum ten-year limit.
However, according to the report, the council quietly passed an amended by-law that effectively removed these term limits, allowing favoured committee members to be reappointed, essentially serving for life.
