New mayor for J-Bay
Former leader’s claim he stepped down because of ill health questioned
ANC councillor Daphne Kettledas was appointed as Kouga mayor yesterday after Booi Koerat was demoted to the mayoral committee.
While the ANC in the Sara Baartman region said Koerat quit his position as mayor because of ill health, an insider said he had, in fact, stepped down due to factional battles in the party.
Koerat was appointed as mayoral committee member responsible for special programmes, a newly created position.
The Kouga council consists of 15 ANC councillors and 14 DA councillors, positioning it for a tight contest between the two parties in next year’s municipal elections.
Koerat said he had stepped down because his health was deteriorating.
“I had two major operations last year and I was often in and out of hospital,” he said.
Kettledas was previously an ANC proportional representation councillor, serving on two sub-committees. Asked about her minimal council experience and how she would handle being mayor of the Jeffreys Bay-based council, she boasted of a strong team who would support her.
“I have played an important role inside my organisation since 2012 and as a councillor.
“I served on two portfolio committees as a member. I don’t think I will be under pressure, I’ve got a capable group with me,” she said.
Kettledas said she had the backing of the provincial political leadership and ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe.
DA caucus leader Chimpie Cawood was the party’s candidate for the mayor’s position but was defeated by Kettledas by a majority vote.
Cawood said that before Koerat stepped down, the ANC put forward that the MEC had approved a sixth mayoral committee position. He believed this was done as a manoeuvre to elect Kettledas as the mayor.
“You cannot be a mayor if you are not on the mayoral commit- tee, so they first elected her to be the sixth member of the fulltime councillors before Koerat stepped down.
“We opposed this because we cannot have another highly paid position in a cash-strapped municipality like ours.”
Cawood said the DA would contest the Kouga municipality in next year’s local government elections, after having won about 3 000 votes during last year’s national election.