Dear Theo – a letter to Mr Kruger from Mr London

Jean Paul van der Mescht

Dear Theo

I am perplexed as to the content of this email for the following reasons:

  1. At a meeting yesterday evening, attended by 9 of the newly elected committee, including yourself, Himmy and Tertius, it was agreed that it would be best to go ahead with the special general meeting on Tuesday 28th, as advertised.
  2. We agreed that it would be chaired by an independent chair from the Greater Cape Town Civic Alliance. There was no discussion of the 28th being an OCA committee meeting.
  3. Although the meeting voiced differences of opinion, you did not once say you were not prepared to go ahead with the SGM nor that it should be a Committee meeting.
  4. The majority of members present at the meeting supported the idea of having the SGM on the 28th
  5. After the meeting, you did not contact any of the new committee to discuss the idea of having a OCA committee meeting.
  6. It seems you went out of the meeting and private caucused with Himmy and Tertius and decided to unilaterally change that to a Committee meeting.
  7. You then issued a legal threat to Tauriq, mentioning the 28th as a Committee meeting, before even consulting with the committee or communicating with members.
  8. As  a committee member, this is the first I hear that Tues 28th is supposed to be a Committee meeting.

This is so transparent as to be ridiculous, Theo.

You have gone against a decision agreed in a meeting of 9 people using three people to undo that decision.

You did not get elected as king of Observatory much as you would like to think that you can rule by decree or lawyer’s letter.

If you really want to retain a shred of credibility, you will retract this laughable email and revert to what was agreed in the meeting.

Please send out an email to confirm that Tuesday will be a Special General Meeting as agreed yesterday.

If not, your true colours will be displayed to all to see – that you wish to control the OCA at all costs and have no interest in the OCA, the Observatory community or any principles of democracy.

It’s your call, Theo, best you think this through wisely rather than like a bully

Best

Leslie

  1. Please also correct your listing of the OCA Committee members – Marc Turok was elected at the AGM to the Committee. If you don’t like it, as Dale says, you can challenge it on Tuesday at the Special General Meeting. But you are making an error of fact by leaving him off the committee elected, much as you don’t like the idea. Sorry, but you can’t pick and choose what you follow in a constitution…