Another attempt to elect a Bitou municipality mayor and vote on the budget fell flat on Monday as the DA and Active United Front (AUF) did not show up, resulting in the meeting not having a quorum.
This is the third meeting that the DA and the AUF did not attend without notice while another meeting was cancelled by council speaker Euan Wildeman speaker at the 11th hour.
Unhappy with the meetings not sitting, Wildeman said they were taking the DA and AUF to court, hoping it would rule in their favour and compel the seven councillors to attend meetings.
However, the AUF and DA are not taking the matter lying down, also saying they were going to court so they would be declared the legitimate political leaders of the Plettenberg Bay-based local authority.
Last week, DA councillor Bill Nel wrote to municipal workers and councillors, telling them he was the new mayor while AUF councillor Peter Lobese was speaker — a move described as an attempted coup by the ANC.
This was because Wildeman had postponed the meeting Nel and Lobese say they were elected in.
ANC councillor Sandiso Gcabayi has been acting in the hot seat since April 16 when Lobese was booted out during a vote of no confidence.
Speaking at the meeting on Monday, Wildeman said the meeting did not quorate as only six councillors showed up.
In the 13-member council the DA and the ANC each have six seats and the AUF just one.
“We still do not have a quorum,” he said.
“I request the MM [municipal manager] to send a report to me about the absence of the other councillors for an investigation.”
Lobese said he did not attend the meeting because the ANC had been removed from office.
“They do not want to accept that they are the minority there,” he said.
Asked whether the meeting where they had elected themselves as the new leadership was legal, Lobese said: “The ANC is just resistant and they want to cling to power. On Wednesday we are going to court as the ANC has taken the majority councillors to court, the court will decide who is legitimate.”
Speaking after the meeting, Wildeman, said they were heading to court.
“We have filed papers and the arguing date will be on Wednesday to get the other councillors to attend meetings and for them to abandon the claims that they are mayors, speakers and whatever they are.
“My main concern is the budget that needs to be approved... But we will discipline councillors who do not attend meetings without reason.”
Nel said he would comment on the developments at a later stage.
“I am in a meeting now, can I speak to you later,” he said.
The meeting . was rescheduled to June 8.
HeraldLIVE