Stop the ANC's dirty tricks and restore democracy in Oudtshoorn
Monday 15 September 2014
Today I, along with hundreds of DA-supporters and other concerned residents, marched to the municipal offices in Oudtshoorn to demonstrate our concern for the state of democracy here.
For longer than a year, the ANC/Icosa/NPP alliance have fiercely and undemocratically clung to power in Oudtshoorn, despite the fact that the DA won a by-election in August last year which gave us control of the Oudtshoorn council.
Today the people of Oudsthoorn said enough is enough. Residents of the greater Oudtshoorn are sick and tired of the ANC's blatant disregard for democracy and the rule of law as well as corruption and mismanagement in this town.
Today, at the municipal buildings, I handed a memorandum (attached) to the mayor, Gordon April, listing examples of gross mismanagement in Oudtshoorn as well as the dirty tricks, employed by the ANC to stay in power here. These include:
- Oudtshoorn has a debt of more than R100 million, outstanding for longer than 90 days.
- According to the Auditor General, Oudtshoorn has wasted R9.3 million in fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
- The ANC-controlled municipality increased property rates with 14%. It is the highest ever increase in the country.
- Since November last year, no standing committee meetings have taken place and this year no mayoral committee meetings.
- Many senior positions have been filled without following the prescribed processes. Senior members of Icosa and the NPP were given jobs. The Mayor illegally appointed Drewan Baird, whose convictions include 5 charges of fraud (for which he was sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment or a R50 000 fine) as his personal adviser at an astronomical salary. Baird has already received more than R1 million in payments - out of the pockets of the taxpayers.
The ANC in Oudtshoorn will attempt to cling to power until the local elections of 2016 when, through more underhanded tactics, they will attempt to win the majority of the vote. That is why today the local DA constituency handed to me the official request to place the municipality of Oudtshoorn under administration. I will take this request to the Western Cape government.
The assault on democracy in this town not only poses a threat to Oudtshoorn, but to the whole of South Africa. A fundamental feature of democracy, is that it is a system of government in which a country's political leaders are chosen by the people in regular, free, and fair elections. The by-election on 7 August last year, was free and fair. Yet, the ANC refuses to relinquish power and insist on staying in office while the people of Oudtshoorn have voted them out.
Today we called on the ANC/NNP/Icosa-alliance to restore democracy in Oudtshoorn. That is what the residents of Oudtshoorn voted for. That is what they deserve.
Text of the memorandum:
Memorandum to Oudtshoorn Acting Municipal Manager, Ronnie Lottering
CC: Gordon April, Mayor; John Stoffels, Speaker
Restore Democracy in Oudtshoorn:
Oudtshoorn has a debt of more than R100 million, outstanding for longer than 90 days.
There is a cashflow shortage of more than R18 million.
Until today there has been no public participation in compiling the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) or the budget. The Mayor rejects this process and compiled his own budget.
According to the Auditor General, Oudtshoorn has wasted R9.3 million in fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
The ANC-controlled municipality increased property rates with 14%. It is the highest ever increase in the country.
Since November last year, no standing committee meetings have taken place and this year no mayoral committee meetings.
There are numerous instances of tenders being awarded without due process being followed.
The acting municipal manager and three of the five heads of departments were appointed illegally.
Many senior positions have been filled without following the prescribed processes. Senior members of Icosa and the NPP were given jobs. The Mayor illegally appointed Drewan Baird, whose convictions include 5 charges of fraud (for which he was sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment or a R50 000 fine) as his personal adviser at an astronomical salary. Baird has already received more than R1 million in payments - out of the pockets of the taxpayers.
However, the ANC consistently undermines democracy in Oudtshoorn through dirty tricks. These include:
After by-elections in Oudtshoorn on 7 August last year, the DA had 12 seats in Council, the ANC 10 and Cope, NPP and Icosa one seat each. The DA/Cope-alliance had 13 seats and the ANC/NPP/Icosa-alliance had 12. Thus, the DA had the majority seats. Yet, to ensure a majority for the ANC alliance and prevent the DA from tabling a motion of no confidence in the Mayor, Deputy-mayor and Speaker, the Speaker, John Stoffels, denied the voting rights of two of the DA members. This was rejected by the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court as well as the Court of Appeals and the Speaker was ordered to personally settle the legal bill. This has not yet happened.
The wrongful removal of the 11 DA councillors and the Cope councillor by the Speaker, John Stoffels. Earlier this month, the Western Cape High Court ruled that the removal of these councillors must be set aside and that they must retain their positions. This was once again a meritless cases resulting in huge legal bills. The words "meritless cases" were used by Judge Owen Rodgers in his judgement in this case.
Recently, councillor Raymond Wildschut (Ward 11) was deceived into unknowingly "resigning" from the Council. On 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 laid a fraud charge at the SAPS and on Friday he was granted an interdict against the IEC to announce a by-election in his ward.
These are only some of the dirty tricks, applied by the ANC in their fierce struggle to cling to power in Oudtshoorn using undemocratic means.
The Oudtshoorn DA constituency as well as the DA Caucus hereby call on the ANC/NPP/Icosa-coalition to respect and obey the principles of democracy and not to oppose democratic outcomes with lawsuits.
Democracy is a system of government in which a country's political leaders are chosen by the people in regular, free, and fair elections.
The by-election on 7 August last year, was free and fair. Yet, the ANC refuses to relinquish power and insist on staying in office while the people of Oudtshoorn have voted them out.
All of us gathered here today, call on the ANC/NNP/Icosa-alliance to stop their dirty tricks and restore democracy in Oudtshoorn. That is what the residents of Oudtshoorn voted for. That is what they deserve.
Ivan Meyer
Leader of the DA in the Western Cape and Constituency Head of Oudtshoorn
Pat Wagenaar
Chairperson of the Oudtshoorn Constituency
Statement issued by Dr. Ivan Meyer: DA Provincial Leader and Constituency Head of Oudtshoorn, September 15 2014
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