OUDTSHOORN NEWS - Oudtshoorn’s MMC for community services, the Good Party’s Cllr Ashwill Oktober, confirmed that a new council meeting to vote for a new mayor will take place tomorrow, 7 August.
Oktober issued the statement following today's (6 August) council meeting, during which Speaker Suzane Jansen was reinstated after she had been removed from office in a motion of no confidence on Tuesday.
He welcomed the ANC’s decision to replace the mayor, Zoe Tyatya, saying that the move would help restore public confidence in the municipality. According to him, the party’s concerns about allegations of dishonest and corrupt conduct were taken seriously by its coalition partners. He said it had become increasingly difficult to maintain a commitment to good governance while questions remained over the mayor’s travel claim matter.
He also emphasised that Good’s decision to support the motion alongside opposition parties was not the result of any agreement with those parties, but rather a decision based on the principles of accountability and good governance. Oktober says the party remains committed to stability, good governance and improved service delivery in the Oudtshoorn Municipality, despite the recent political turmoil.
“Good will not be treated as sheep or merely as voting fodder. Our loyalty is to the residents of Oudtshoorn and to the values that the party represents,” he said.
In a statement issued on 6 August, Oktober said Good’s participation in the governing coalition had always been based on the principles of transparency, accountability and effective service delivery. “We are not in government in pursuit of positions, we are in government in pursuit of service,” he said.
Oktober added that the coalition leaders had agreed to place renewed emphasis on service delivery and the needs of local communities. He said the party remained committed to working with coalition partners who shared its vision of ethical leadership, accountability and improved service delivery.
“Our focus remains on building a stable municipality that puts the interests of the people first,” he said.
Also read:
‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
