Motion of no confidence in Knysna’s Willemse fails
DA COUNCILLOR and Knysna Mayor Mark Willemse escaped a motion of no confidence from his party after opposition parties did not attend the meeting, meaning the council did not reach a quorum yesterday.
Only nine (all DA) of the 21 council members attended the meeting, which had several urgent matters that required council approval but were left unresolved.
DA councillor Luzuko Tyokolo had tabled the motion and said Willemse’s and the opposition’s “deliberate” absence had placed the council in danger of falling into non-compliance.
“I am glad the residents were there in chambers and could see that councillor Willemse and the opposition do not have the interest of service delivery. Willemse is the ANC’s mayor, not ours. We regard his tenure as mayor as illegitimate and the DA federal executive supported our decision to table the motion against him,” said Tyokolo.
He said in the event of a deadlock, the outcome would have been determined by DA Speaker Georlene Wolmarans.
Knysna municipality spokesperson Christopher Bezuidenhoudt said the DA submitted a motion of no confidence in Willemse, and that the meeting did not reach a quorum and was subsequently adjourned until Monday.
Willemse was voted in as mayor of Knysna by opposition parties following a motion of no confidence in his predecessor, Eleanore BouwSpies.
The DA leadership accused Willemse of colluding with the opposition for supporting the motion against Bouw-Spies, while the rest of the DA caucus had left council. ANC chief whip Tati Gombo called Tyokolo’s claims “ridiculous” as the council meeting was meant to take place on Monday and they had submitted an apology to the Speaker, as they had a prior meeting to attend.
She warned that the DA’s actions smacked of “desperation” as the mayor was voted for through a legal process. Willemse said he had conveyed to the Speaker that he had meetings in Cape Town he needed to attend.
“Not having the support of our caucus is difficult. All I can do is get on with the work and do my best to deliver on my mandate to the citizens of Knysna. I have also received the charges regarding my position from the DA’s federal legal council, but the matter with regard to Mayor Patricia de Lille may have implications on that process,’’ said Willemse.
Willemse said his disciplinary hearing was scheduled for July 7.
DA provincial communications manager Odette Cason said the federal executive approved the motion of no confidence.