Africa-Press – South-Africa. Western Cape Local Government MEC Anton Bredell has urgently intervened in the Kannaland Municipality following calls from councillors.
A special council meeting is taking place on Friday where a motion of no confidence will be tabled against the speaker of the council, Rodge Albertus.
According to Bredell’s spokesperson, Wouter Kriel, the municipality did not currently have a mayor or deputy mayor.
“The current speaker refused to convene a council meeting where it could be voted on. Minister Bredell was asked by a majority of councillors to step in. He delegated in terms of legislation to Anton Groenewald, Swellendam’s municipal manager, to convene such a meeting for today,” he said.
Kriel added the council meeting on Friday would be followed by the election of a new speaker after which a new leadership would be ushered in.
“The new speaker will then lead the voting process to elect a new mayor and deputy mayor for Kannaland,” he said.
Kannaland power struggle: Municipality without mayor, deputy as legal showdown looms
Two new ANC councillors are also expected to be sworn in to get a full council.
The embattled municipality was left leaderless following a legal showdown and political suspensions that overshadowed its functionality.
At the centre of the issue is former mayor Jeffrey Donson, who headed to court in an attempt to challenge the motion of no confidence he faced in January.
Donson, a convicted child rapist, along with his former deputy, Werner Meshoa, a convicted fraudster, were ousted in the motion of no confidence.
They were joined by the district representative in the municipality, Hyron Ruiters, of the Icosa party, who was also subjected to the motion of no confidence. Their election to public office, with the support of ANC councillors, was widely condemned.
The council subsequently decided that ANC speaker Nicolaas Valentyn should take over as mayor, with the ANC’s Leonie Stuurman as deputy mayor, and Albertus of the Kannaland Independent Party as speaker.
However, Senior ANC leaders then immediately intervened and suspended Valentyn and Stuurman.
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