/ 21 December 2007

DA councillor in court over Delft housing incident

A Democratic Alliance Cape Town city councillor, Frank Martin, appeared briefly in the Bellville Magistrate's Court on Friday after his arrest on Thursday for allegedly encouraging homeless people in Delft to move into houses not allocated to them. Martin was released on R1 000 bail by a Bellville prosecutor.

A Democratic Alliance Cape Town city councillor, Frank Martin, appeared briefly in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on Friday after his arrest on Thursday for allegedly encouraging homeless people in Delft to move into houses not allocated to them.

According to the charge sheet, Martin was released on R1 000 bail soon after his arrest.

On Friday, he appeared before magistrate F Rudolph, who extended his bail and warned him to appear in court on April 25 next year.

According to news reports, he was to be charged with inciting riotous behaviour, but a note on the charge sheet indicated the charge was to be the contravention of a court order.

Prosecutor Sher-Banu Bhawoodien told the court there might be an additional charge, but she gave no details.

After discussions with defence attorney Frank Raymond, she asked for the postponement to await a decision by the Western Cape director of public prosecutions on whether the case should be prosecuted and, if so, what the charges would be.

Martin was neatly dressed in a dark pin-striped suit, white shirt and lime-green tie. His case was the first to be called, but it was late in the morning before the media got access to the charge sheet.

The illegally occupied houses form part of the Cape’s N2 Gateway project. — Sapa