Fwd: summary and outcome of the OCA Special General Meeting on the 28th November 2017
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Trevor Hughes
Nov 29, 2017, 5:12:29 PM11/29/17
to ilov...@googlegroups.com, ob...@googlegroups.com
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Leslie London <leslie...@uct.ac.za>
Date: Thu, Nov 30, 2017 at 12:05 AM
Subject: summary and outcome of the OCA Special General Meeting on the
28th November 2017
To: redacted
Dear Obs residents
Many of you were no doubt present at the OCA Special General Meeting
(SGM) held last night on the 28th November and saw Democracy in
Action.
However, I am writing to give people who were not present feedback on
the outcome of the SGM.
Firstly, there was a lot of organising and mobilising undertaken by
Observatory volunteers across the board – many people emailed,
delivered flyers, worked on social media, contacted the press, and
worked behind the scenes to make sure that the community voice would
not be suppressed.
The meeting started late because we were overwhelmed with Observatory
residents and business owners coming to hear for themselves what
actually happened.
The queue stretched around the block, and we started more than 30
minutes late because so many people arrived. We had to get more chairs
from rooms in the Community Centre, and print more membership forms
because we ran out due to so many people turning up!
Although we had moved the venue to the big hall downstairs, it was
still standing room only at the back.
New members who signed up on the night were asked to show proof of
residence/business and ID, and paid the required registration fee. All
members were then given an OCA sticker to indicate they were bona fide
members. The boundaries of the OCA as specified in the OCA
Constitution were displayed at the Registration Desk for people to
view.
The three people who had threatened an interdict to stop the SGM going
ahead, Himmy Abader, Theo Kruger and Tertius van Zyl, also attended
the meeting.
In total, there were about 250 people at the meeting and at least 202
eligible to vote (I don’t have the final figure of registrants, but it
was more than 202).
Observers from the Greater Cape Town Civic Alliance (GCTCA) confirmed
that they were happy with the registration procedures used at this
SGM.
The meeting was chaired by Graham Noble from the GCTCA, as an
impartial outsider. He was flanked on stage by Tauriq Jenkins, the
acting Chair of the 2016/17 Committee and Dale Forbes, elected as
Deputy Chair at the disputed AGM in October.
First, Dale briefly explained the origins to this meeting, and Tauriq
made a brief statement explaining the actions of the 2016/17 Committee
as upholding the OCA Constitution.
Olivia Andrews, who holds the Business Forum portfolio, presented the
evidence relating to the discrepancies identified after the 31st
October 2017 Annual General Meeting (AGM), how these discrepancies
could not be corroborated, and were found to be irregular.
A full account of the evidence can be found on the OCA Website.
(https://obs.org.za/)
The floor was then opened for discussion and questions.
The three individuals who had attempted to prevent the SGM from taking
place tried to answer questions directed at them but failed to provide
any reasons satisfactory to the house. It would be understating the
case to say that people were unhappy with the responses. A lot of
dismay, outrage, and disbelief was voiced from the audience.
Various motions and amendments were discussed but finally, after an
initial motion was withdrawn in favour of the final motion, the house
voted unanimously to annul the October 31st AGM elections, based on
clear evidence that the elections did not take place in accordance
with the OCA constitution.
OCA members had to vote by raising their hand and affixing their
stickers to their fingers. It was a veritable sea of stickers.
In the end, there were exactly 200 votes in favour of annulling the
31st October AGM elections and no votes against nor any abstaining
votes.
There were people in the audience who may not have voted, including
two of the three people who tried to block the SGM, but one of the
three who had threatened to interdict the holding of a new AGM,
actually voted with those voting to annul the election!
In short, once presented with the evidence, the Observatory community
overwhelmingly rejected the elections held on 31st October 2017, and
declared the 31st October AGM invalid, effectively re-instating the
2016/17 Committee and charging it with the responsibility of
organising a new AGM within two months - with election procedures that
would be beyond question.
As one Obs resident put it,
“They came, they tried, they failed and they still have to pay for the
lawyers’ letters!! True democracy in action is a very powerful thing.
Proudly Observatorian tonight.”
The OCA committee has a lot of work to do and will be putting out
communications soon.
We hope that you will be able to join in helping to realise many of
the fantastic ideas people have for Observatory to continue being the
exciting, novel, inclusive, and vibrant place we know it to be!
Lots of news coverage at the following URL:
Groundup have two articles, one pre- and one post the meeting:
https://www.groundup.org.za/article/developers-accused-hijacking-observatory-civic-association/
and
https://www.groundup.org.za/article/property-developers-booted-obz-civic-association/
The Cape Times also ran a story this morning (29th November) which did
not cover the meeting last night and which has a few inconsistencies,
but you can find it on page 3 of the Cape Times today – story by
Sandiso Phaliso
Attached to this email
Photo: On stage - Dale Forbes (elected deputy chair at the disputed
AGM, Graham Noble from the Greater Cape Town Civic Alliance as chair
of the meeting, Tauriq Jenkins (Acting Chair of the outgoing OCA
Committee)
Photo: OCA members voting to annul the October AGM elections
From: Leslie London <leslie...@uct.ac.za>
Date: Thu, Nov 30, 2017 at 12:05 AM
Subject: summary and outcome of the OCA Special General Meeting on the
28th November 2017
To: redacted
Dear Obs residents
Many of you were no doubt present at the OCA Special General Meeting
(SGM) held last night on the 28th November and saw Democracy in
Action.
However, I am writing to give people who were not present feedback on
the outcome of the SGM.
Firstly, there was a lot of organising and mobilising undertaken by
Observatory volunteers across the board – many people emailed,
delivered flyers, worked on social media, contacted the press, and
worked behind the scenes to make sure that the community voice would
not be suppressed.
The meeting started late because we were overwhelmed with Observatory
residents and business owners coming to hear for themselves what
actually happened.
The queue stretched around the block, and we started more than 30
minutes late because so many people arrived. We had to get more chairs
from rooms in the Community Centre, and print more membership forms
because we ran out due to so many people turning up!
Although we had moved the venue to the big hall downstairs, it was
still standing room only at the back.
New members who signed up on the night were asked to show proof of
residence/business and ID, and paid the required registration fee. All
members were then given an OCA sticker to indicate they were bona fide
members. The boundaries of the OCA as specified in the OCA
Constitution were displayed at the Registration Desk for people to
view.
The three people who had threatened an interdict to stop the SGM going
ahead, Himmy Abader, Theo Kruger and Tertius van Zyl, also attended
the meeting.
In total, there were about 250 people at the meeting and at least 202
eligible to vote (I don’t have the final figure of registrants, but it
was more than 202).
Observers from the Greater Cape Town Civic Alliance (GCTCA) confirmed
that they were happy with the registration procedures used at this
SGM.
The meeting was chaired by Graham Noble from the GCTCA, as an
impartial outsider. He was flanked on stage by Tauriq Jenkins, the
acting Chair of the 2016/17 Committee and Dale Forbes, elected as
Deputy Chair at the disputed AGM in October.
First, Dale briefly explained the origins to this meeting, and Tauriq
made a brief statement explaining the actions of the 2016/17 Committee
as upholding the OCA Constitution.
Olivia Andrews, who holds the Business Forum portfolio, presented the
evidence relating to the discrepancies identified after the 31st
October 2017 Annual General Meeting (AGM), how these discrepancies
could not be corroborated, and were found to be irregular.
A full account of the evidence can be found on the OCA Website.
(https://obs.org.za/)
The floor was then opened for discussion and questions.
The three individuals who had attempted to prevent the SGM from taking
place tried to answer questions directed at them but failed to provide
any reasons satisfactory to the house. It would be understating the
case to say that people were unhappy with the responses. A lot of
dismay, outrage, and disbelief was voiced from the audience.
Various motions and amendments were discussed but finally, after an
initial motion was withdrawn in favour of the final motion, the house
voted unanimously to annul the October 31st AGM elections, based on
clear evidence that the elections did not take place in accordance
with the OCA constitution.
OCA members had to vote by raising their hand and affixing their
stickers to their fingers. It was a veritable sea of stickers.
In the end, there were exactly 200 votes in favour of annulling the
31st October AGM elections and no votes against nor any abstaining
votes.
There were people in the audience who may not have voted, including
two of the three people who tried to block the SGM, but one of the
three who had threatened to interdict the holding of a new AGM,
actually voted with those voting to annul the election!
In short, once presented with the evidence, the Observatory community
overwhelmingly rejected the elections held on 31st October 2017, and
declared the 31st October AGM invalid, effectively re-instating the
2016/17 Committee and charging it with the responsibility of
organising a new AGM within two months - with election procedures that
would be beyond question.
As one Obs resident put it,
“They came, they tried, they failed and they still have to pay for the
lawyers’ letters!! True democracy in action is a very powerful thing.
Proudly Observatorian tonight.”
The OCA committee has a lot of work to do and will be putting out
communications soon.
We hope that you will be able to join in helping to realise many of
the fantastic ideas people have for Observatory to continue being the
exciting, novel, inclusive, and vibrant place we know it to be!
Lots of news coverage at the following URL:
Groundup have two articles, one pre- and one post the meeting:
https://www.groundup.org.za/article/developers-accused-hijacking-observatory-civic-association/
and
https://www.groundup.org.za/article/property-developers-booted-obz-civic-association/
The Cape Times also ran a story this morning (29th November) which did
not cover the meeting last night and which has a few inconsistencies,
but you can find it on page 3 of the Cape Times today – story by
Sandiso Phaliso
Attached to this email
Photo: On stage - Dale Forbes (elected deputy chair at the disputed
AGM, Graham Noble from the Greater Cape Town Civic Alliance as chair
of the meeting, Tauriq Jenkins (Acting Chair of the outgoing OCA
Committee)
Photo: OCA members voting to annul the October AGM elections
Marc Turok
Nov 29, 2017, 5:22:14 PM11/29/17
to Trevor Hughes, ilov...@googlegroups.com, ob...@googlegroups.com
Nice work!
Impressive.
Marc
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Impressive.
Marc
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James Cowley
Dec 1, 2017, 9:18:10 AM12/1/17
to Trevor Hughes, The heart of Obs, the online community centre, ob...@googlegroups.com
Well done Folks - Proud of OBS!
Thanks
James UK
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Ian Gilfillan
Dec 3, 2017, 12:05:09 PM12/3/17
to ilov...@googlegroups.com, Trevor Hughes, ob...@googlegroups.com
Thanks for this feedback. For those that missed the meeting, there is
also some video footage at the bottom of this blog post:
http://www.greenman.co.za/blog/?p=2142
Thanks to GroundUp and bearet for the coverage.
also some video footage at the bottom of this blog post:
http://www.greenman.co.za/blog/?p=2142
Thanks to GroundUp and bearet for the coverage.
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