Rylands Civic Association collectively rejects the proposed move to remove non

On 9 February 1970, the Rylands Civic Association collectively rejected the planned move in the Cape Province to remove non-White voters from the common municipal roll. The Association gave its executive a mandate to support any step other ratepayers' organisations jointly decide to take in relation with the matter. The Coloured and Indian people in the Cape Province were only permitted to a limited vote on a separate roll for Parliament and they had an eligible vote for the Municipal Councils. To worsen the situation, the Government proposed to eliminate these voters from the common roll. At a meeting in Gleemoor Town Hall, the Chairman of the association representing the Indian group area of Rylands, Athlone only known as E. Moosa said; "the announcement by the Prime Minister Mr. Voster that the non-Whites will no longer contribute as municipal voters has come as a shock, though not as a surprise. Non-Whites will now be deprived of the last vestige of their democratic right to vote as ratepayers." Many believed that the effect of this move would be that "begies, convicts and lay abouts" would have an equivalent right in municipal matters to the detriment of the welfare of legitimate ratepayers organisations and civic conscious persons. Dawood Khan, a member of the Cape Town City Council uttered; "this is a sad day for every non-White citizen as inherent rights were to be taken away and they are going to lose their citizenship."