Oudtshoorn Municipal Council elects a new speaker as Aldm Stoffels resigns

Oudtshoorn, 02 July 2015 – Cllr Christiaan Macpherson of the Democratic Alliance (DA) has been elected as the new Speaker of the Greater Oudtshoorn after Aldm John Stoffels of the National People’s Party (NPP) resigned at a special Council meeting held today, 2 July 2015.

Aldm Stoffels’s tendered his resignation during the speaker’s communication item in a special council meeting attended by 15 councillors from the DA, NPP and ICOSA. All 9 ANC councillors did not attend the meeting. Cllr. Wessie van der Westhuizen of the DA who is also the Executive Mayor of the Eden District Municipality commended Aldm Stoffels for “delivering an excellent job under such difficult circumstances”.

In his acceptance speech, Cllr. Christiaan Macpherson said: “This is the beginning of building one Oudtshoorn with one future which will be based on freedom, fairness and opportunities for all citizens of the greater Oudtshoorn.”

“Today is a start of a process where government will be given back to the people as it is the people that should govern and not just a few,” Cllr Macpherson added.

The Council furthermore resolved to apply for an extension from the MEC for Local Government in the Western Cape Mr. Anton Bredell to review the 2015/16 budget which was disapproved by Council earlier this week. Mr. Bredell will be requested not to intervene in terms of section 139 of the Constitution pending Council’s sitting on 10 July 2015.

Statement issued by Ntobeko Mangqwengqwe, Oudtshoorn Municipality’s Communication & Media Services, July 2 2015