Dan’s PR disaster

With the second biggest event of the year due to take place in Cape Town this weekend (remember that World Cup thing we did?) and following on from his extraordinary comments over the Makhaza toilet saga, City Mayor Dan Plato has lurched into yet another PR disaster.  Helen Zille was always going to be a hard act to follow, but this man makes Nomaindia Mfeketo look good.
And she really wasn’t.

This time it’s all to do with who gets to press the button to bring down the Athlone Cooling Towers. And as the Mayor was pointing out on local radio just a couple of weeks ago, it would be a great honour for some worthwhile member of the community to be able to be the one to trigger the blast. A local charity, Reach For A Dream, which gives dying children the chance to carry out their last wishes was also hopeful of giving some kids the chance to say that they were the ones who demolished the towers.

As Councillor Clive Justus, the mayoral committee member for utility services commented earlier in the week:

It might be the contractors, the mayor, the premier, the Reach for a Dream Foundation – we haven’t made up our minds yet. I will be taking a decision in consultation before the end of the week.
Whoever it is will be outside the 300m perimeter, and it will be very, very sophisticated. The plunger of days gone by is no longer with us.

“It’ll be like pressing a cellphone button,” he explained.

And today – the name of the lucky plunger button presser was revealed – and that person will be…

Mayor Dan Plato!

Why? WHY?!?

Even if this decision was taken “in consultation” and he wasn’t involved in said consultation, why doesn’t he, someone, anyone see what a complete and utter PR disaster this is?
Cape Talk was inundated with calls criticising the decision this evening. And what did Dan have to say about the whole thing?

As time comes nearer I think it will become emotional. I will go down to the towers later this morning to take my own pictures and so on.

Soundbite heaven.

There are still 39 hours before big bang time. It’s not too late to change this stupid decision and to give someone who really deserves something special, the honour. Be it upstanding Athlone community member, be it dying child.

If you’re reading this, Dan (stop sniggering people: I’m going to email it to him and the big lady upstairs) – please just stop and think what sort of message this sends out. Again.
Do the decent thing, give it to someone and make a difference to their life. Be remembered as the man who gave this opportunity to someone else, not as the greedy mayor who kept it for himself.

You can email the Mayor’s office and voice your opinion here: mayor.mayor@capetown.gov.za.

4 thoughts on “Dan’s PR disaster

  1. “The mayor did WHAT? He pushed the button to destroy some crappy grey towers that don’t serve any practical purpose? That does it! AND NO, I AM NOT HYSTERICAL!!!”

  2. Jeremy > You sound quite hysterical.
    When my SACP takes Cape Town at the next election, there will be no hysterics allowed.

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