Hawks deployed to Bitou muni
Political drama is starting to unfold within Bitou after the DA in Plettenberg Bay laid a criminal complaint against the town’s mayor and the party’s coalition partner Peter Lobese over alleged illegal “siphoning of money” out of municipal bank accounts.
The complaint was laid with the Hawks on Wednesday 18 April.
“We welcome the Hawks’ investigation, acting on my request for their intervention. My department has a long history of not fearing to step in when there are concerns about the way municipalities are being run. We have seen similar investigations in Oudtshoorn and Kannaland municipalities by the Hawks in the past. It is a pity that these types of matters seem to repeat themselves and it is a real pity that public officials seem to forget in whose interests they serve,” said Western Cape MEC for local government, environmental affairs and development planning Anton Bredell.
‘Hands in till to be chopped off’
“Our message has always been that if your hands are caught in the till in this province, then we will not hesitate to chop them off, no matter whose hands it is. We want to urge officials and public representatives in all our municipalities to remember their duties and responsibilities. We will cooperate fully with the Hawks in the matter, as we have always done,” stressed Bredell.
The complaint comes in the wake of an initial investigation into municipal irregularities by a forensics team. During the course of the investigation the team identified several allegations concerning certain councillors and Bitou staff. It has been recommended that these be further investigated. While certain allegations identified could be appropriately addressed at municipal level, others are being referred to the relevant functionaries, including police.
Lobese declines to respond
“I have noted the media statement that is attributed to the DA regarding the laying of a criminal complaint against me. Unfortunately I do not have any detailed information about these allegations, as a result I am unable to respond them. However, as soon as I have more information, I will then be able to respond fully,” Lobese said about the complaint.
Lobese’s party the Active United Front (AUF) has, however, since hit back.
AUF local structure chairperson Lindinceba Nkentsha said in a statement that the DA was a “racist organisation” and that Lobese and other officials were targets as they were probably “too black to run Bitou government” in the eyes of the DA.
Nkentsha added that the timing of the complaint was also a concern as it came in the wake of “positive relations” between the ANC and the AUF “to make changes in Bitou”.
‘Cheap political scoring by DA’
“We are not surprised by this cheap political points-scoring by the DA,” Nkentsha said in a statement. “The DA is a racist organisation. It views black Africans as corrupt and incompetent to run a smooth administration. We know that Lobese rejected the DA’s position to dismiss or terminate contracts of senior black officials in Bitou. We believe the mayor and senior officials are targets because they are too black to run Bitou government.” He further said this was a ploy to create administration and political instability in Bitou.
He added that the AUF has taken a decision to mandate its councillor not to support the “racist disciplinary hearing against” municipal manager Thabo Ndlovu. “The AUF also instructed its councillor to submit a motion for a vote of no confidence against DA speaker Anellise Olivier and deputy mayor Jessica Kam-Kam,” said Nkentsha.
“The DA had tried by all means to destabilise Bitou Municipality and cause chaos by poaching senior officials from Bitou to DA-controlled municipalities. This is a plan to create administration instability in Bitou Municipality to enable the DAcontrolled provincial government to run Bitou municipality.
“The AUF will not allow being bullied by any political party; we enter into coalitions as equal partners. DA is desperate for power forgetting that they did not win the majority of votes in the 2016 local government elections. To steal the power or think that they will easily swallow the AUF is a mistake.”
Nkentsha said the AUF would continue to champion the interests of the working class and poor people of Bitou and would not be intimidated by any party or person in realising its aims and objectives.
Coalition is crumbling
While both parties have remained mum on the coalition it appears that the relationship is crumbling.
On 13 April, council resolved to appoint Gert Groenewald as acting municipal manager after Lobese, contrary to his coalition agreement with the DA, voted with ANC councillors not to extend the appointment of the seconded acting municipal manager Johnny Douglas.
Coalition governing in Bitou has been a turbulent journey. The ANC and the AUF formed a coalition to govern the town after Bitou became a hung council following the last local government elections.
The relationship between the two parties however deteriorated to such an extent that Lobese announced, seven months into the coalition, that he was terminating the agreement.
This was followed by intense discussions between the AUF and the DA which subsequently resulted in a new coalition agreement.