Tony Ehrenreich: exposing the extravagance of the wealthy and setting an example re: holiday houses
A PRESS CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD:
Date: Sunday 15 February 2015
From: 08:30 To 10:00
Venue: Nr 33, 11th Avenue, Kleinmond
Breakfast will be served to members of the Press.
The family moving in will be available to be interviewed.
Tony Ehrenreich will be taking a family into his holiday house in Kleinmond from the informal housing sector in the area. This is in part to assist a family who does not have a house of their own, until they get a house. But it is also to expose the fact that holiday houses of the wealthy stand empty all year, whilst there is this desperate need for decent shelter for people. This extravagance of the wealthy, both black and white, must be confronted if we are to address the huge social challenges that exist in our society.
This is the third family that Tony is taking into his holiday home since he started building it 12 years ago. It is now being done publicly, so that it serves as an example to the society of what is possible. Tony is one of the first to reject the assimilation of the comrades into white lifestyles; and apply values of Ubuntu to this situation. The norm is that when black people become relatively wealthy, they start defending and justifying the white extravagances that was born under apartheid, because they are part of it. Here is someone with all the trappings of the wealthy, saying it is obscene and exposing the extravagant lifestyle.
There is a desperate need for a new value system and new practice in respect of the economy, as the huge inequalities are tearing apart the social fabric of our society. Tony will also continue hiring out the house to comrades in the union at reduced prices; whilst making the house available for general lease at market related prices to cover the bond.
This is part of the ongoing campaign that Tony has embarked on to expose the greed and extravagance that often drives the societal and political tensions and division. This is in the hope that our constituencies can challenge all leaders in the society to hold us to a higher standard and expose the greed amongst some.
Statement issued by COSATU Western Cape Provincial Secretary, Tony Ehrenreich, February 12 2015
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