PLETTENBERG BAY POLITICAL NEWS - Political uncertainty still prevails in Plettenberg Bay after the DA's decision to take its opposition to court about the suspension of former mayor Peter Lobese.
The party's challenge to the ANC's decision to suspend Lobese during a special council meeting on 5 June left the Bitou council a hung one.
The turmoil started after a unanimous vote of no confidence in Lobese in April this year.
Following this move the DA, along with the AUF, last month toppled the ANC-run municipality after the majority of councillors elected DA Caucus Leader Bill Nel as mayor. This election happened during a council meeting last month that, though attended only by the DA and the AUF, made up the majority of councillors and saw Lobese siding with the DA.
The ANC then challenged the election in the Western Cape High Court. On 3 June the court ordered that the meeting in which Nel was elected as mayor was null and void and ordered that a new mayor be elected on 8 June. During the 8 June meeting, however, Speaker Euan Wildeman moved to suspend Lobese, referencing a criminal case involving alleged corruption, fraud and racketeering that had been opened against him. This blocked Lobese from casting his vote for a new mayor, leading to a split vote between the DA candidate, Nel, and the ANC candidate, Sandiso Gcabayi, who is currently acting mayor of Bitou.
Bill Nel
The DA then turned to the court to declare Lobese's suspension illegal. According to the code of conduct for councillors, a disciplinary process needs to be followed after which the MEC for local government ultimately has to make the call to suspend a councillor or not. This process was apparently not followed.
The court is scheduled to deliver judgment in the matter at its discretion.
'We bring you the latest Plettenberg Bay, Garden Route news'
