New council mayor after DA loses power

THE DA has lost power in the Central Karoo District Municipality after the the Karoo Gemeenskap Party (KGP), which held the balance of power on the council, switched allegiance to support the ANC.

ANC spokesperson for the Central Karoo Winde Plaatjie said: “The coalition between the ANC and KGP heralds the beginning of the end of the DA’s political dominance in the Karoo.”

“From today the new mayor in the Central Karoo District Municipality

will be KGP’s Isak Windvogel, his deputy will be Margaret Jafta (KGP), while the speaker will be the ANC’s Mkhululi Hangana, with another ANC member, Johanna Botha, serving on the mayoral committee,” said Plaatjie.

“The fact that the DA does not understand that a coalition is a collective and that no party leads, has also alienated KPG. Their relationship with the DA was also soured by the provincial government’s constant interference, as well as DA party bosses trying to micromanage matters in the Karoo from Cape Town.”

DA constituency head for Beaufort West, Daylin Mitchell said: “The relationship became untenable due to the DA’s zero-tolerance approach to corruption and our relentless undertaking to clean out the administration.”

Mitchell cited an investigation into a Local Government Sector Education and Training Authority (LGSETA) project, commonly known as the Africa Creek project, totalling R12 million.

“The Africa Creek report was sent to (former) mayor Annelie Rabie on May 8 and two days later she informally furnished speaker Isak Windvogel with a copy. However, since it was lockdown, the mayor was unable to table the report in council,” said Mitchell.

“A report of this nature would ordinarily have been submitted to the municipal manager, however, he is named in the report and since the MM reports to council via the mayor, the report was submitted to the mayor.

“Since the easing of the lockdown regulations regarding council meetings, speaker Windvogel has on several occasions refused to allow Mayor Rabie to table the report in Council.”

“The DA has therefore asked Local Government MEC Anton Bredell to immediately request Windvogel to table the forensic report. If the report is not tabled, we will have no other choice but to approach the courts.”