DA councillor sacked for voting against party

AFTER four years as a DA councillor in the Kouga municipality Desmond Petersen has been fired with immediate effect after disciplinary action.

Yesterday, chairwoman of the party provincial disciplinary committee, Vicky Knoetze, said Petersen had been fired for voting “in a manner other than in accordance with a party caucus decision”.

Petersen, who has been a councillor since 2013 and was appointed as member of the mayoral committee responsible for infrastructure and planning when the DA won the Kouga municipal election last year, confirmed he was dismissed earlier this month.

Another mayoral committee member, Dr Nico Botha, was also removed from the committee but remains a councillor.

Botha declined to comment regarding his removal saying: “I reserve my right to take further action, but I am still deciding on the way forward.”

Dr Malcolm Figg, the DA’s constituency leader in the Tsitsi-Kouga region, said Petersen was dismissed following a disciplinary process.

Knoetze said disciplinary action was taken following a council meeting on August 31. Petersen’s successor will be appointed following a by-election on December 13, said Figg. — DDC