The DA has taken over the Oudtshoorn municipality after a motion of no-confidence was passed in ANC representatives.
|||Cape Town - The DA has taken over the Western Cape's Oudtshoorn municipality after a motion of no-confidence was passed in ANC representatives on Friday, the party said.
Democratic Alliance spokesman Mmusi Maimane said the party led the motion against the mayor, deputy mayor and speaker. Five of 11 African National Congress councillors, and councillors from the Congress of the People, voted with the DA.
A DA mayor, deputy mayor and speaker were then elected.
After the council meeting, the five ANC members resigned and joined the DA, Maimane said.
“The ANC councillors were clear regarding the reasons for their resignation. They are fed up with the bad service delivery, mismanagement and maladministration within the ANC-led municipality,” he said.
ANC provincial chair Marius Fransman could not immediately be reached for comment.
SABC news reported that ANC mayor Gordon April and four other ANC members walked out of the meeting “after a heated exchange of words”. The council meeting proceeded without them.
Outside the council chambers, April reportedly claimed the meeting was illegal. However, the new leadership said it had proof that the high court had found other, similar, meetings lawful. - Sapa