DA to obtain interdict to counter ANC's dirty tricks in Oudtshoorn

Monday 8 September 2014

Tomorrow the DA will apply for an interdict in the Western Cape High Court to prevent the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) from scheduling a by-election in Ward 11, Oudtshoorn. I have already written to the IEC and informed them that the by-election was illegally established.

This comes after the DA councillor, Raymond Wildschut, was deceived into unknowingly "resigning" from the Council.

On Tuesday 19 August, Mr Wildschut received a copy of his so-called "letter of resignation" from the Speaker, Mr John Stoffels. However, Mr Wildschut never wrote and signed such a letter and realised that it was fraudulent.

He immediately went to the police and laid a charge of fraud (case number: MAS 124/8/2014). Mr Wildschut's affidavit can be viewed here. The SAPS is investigating the matter.

Declaring a vacancy in Ward 11, Oudtshoorn, is a result of yet another dirty political campaign by the Speaker and the ANC-coalition in the Oudtshoorn municipality.

After a by-election on 7 August last year, the DA became the majority in the Council and was ready to rightfully take over and begin to redress the damage caused by ANC rule. Since then, however, the ANC has applied every trick in the book to cling to power and, in the process, have wasted millions of rands on legal proceedings.

Mr Wildschut's fake resignation letter is just another one of the ANC's dirty tricks. These tricks include the suspension of the DA-councillors Pierre Nel and Ben van Wyk by the Speaker in September last year. On 16 May, this year, the Constitutional Court ruled that these suspensions were illegal and ordered Mr Stoffels to settle his own as well as the DA's legal expenses from his first application for leave to appeal.

Also, on 27 August, the Western Cape High Court ruled that the removal of 11 DA councillors and a Cope councillor in the Oudtshoorn municipality must be set aside and that the 12 councillors must retain their positions.

The ANC in Oudtshoorn's continued waste of taxpayers' money in order to illegally cling to power, is becoming intolerable.

I call on the people of Oudtshoorn to reject the ANC for these corrupt practices by joining the DA on Monday 15 September in Oudtshoorn when we will march for the restoration of democracy.

Statement issued by Ivan Meyer, Leader of the Western Cape DA and Constituency head of Oudtshoorn, September 8 2014

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