Dear Editor
In a betrayal of voters’ trust, the Compatriots of South Africa (CSA) used its deciding vote in council today to remove DA Cllr Ewald Loock as Mayor of the Dr Beyers Naude Municipality. At the same meeting, DA Cllr Ricardo Smith was also removed as the Chief Whip of council.
The Speaker of Council and president of the CSA, Cheslin Felix, has nailed his party’s colours to the mast of the ANC and is doing his best to return the ANC to power.
In the 2021 Local Government Election, the majority of voters in Dr Beyers Naude voted against returning the ANC to power. This is not surprising given the mismanagement and poor service delivery that residents have been subjected to by successive ANC-led governments.
In November 2021, the DA, Freedom Front Plus and the CSA signed a coalition agreement to create a governing coalition focused on good governance and service delivery.
In a clear contravention of the agreement, the CSA unilaterally ended the coalition without making use of the simple conflict resolution mechanisms provided for in the agreement.
In addition, the CSA parachuted Felix in to replace its locally elected councillor. This followed a failed bid by Felix to be elected as a councillor in Nelson Mandela Bay.
The CSA claims to be the “voice of the marginalised”, but it is marginalised communities who suffer most as a result of the failure of the ANC and its enablers to create a financially sustainable municipality capable of delivering basic services to all communities.
The removal of Mayor Loock will not deter the DA and its partners from fighting for good governance and better service delivery. We are deeply appreciative of the FF Plus and the EFF for staying true to their voters in opposing the ANC and CSA power grab.
Since the November 2021 elections, the coalition government has worked tirelessly to create a service delivery orientated municipality, despite the ongoing attempts by the ANC-CSA coalition to destablise the institution.
The Speaker has requested a third legal opinion in as many months to attempt to understand the processes of Council. It is unprecedented that a Speaker is so woefully inept that he has to repeatedly solicit external legal advice, at immense cost to the Municipality, to interpret the Standing Rules and Order of Council.
A new election for Mayor and Chief Whip will take place in the coming weeks. We hope that, whichever way the coin falls, the ANC will finally accept the outcome and allow the Council to focus on fixing our failing Municipality and delivering services to our residents.
Regards
Samantha Graham-Maré, MP
Dr Beyers Naude Constituency Leader