DA ‘found wanting’ in suspending George municipal manager

THE DA has been dealt a blow after the Western Cape High Court overturned the suspension of George municipal manager Trevor Botha.

The court ordered that Botha be reinstated with immediate effect, and that the municipality pay the costs.

DA chief whip Marlene Barnardt said: “We were expecting this and knew about it last week. We withdrew the opposition to Botha’s application after receiving senior counsel advice that the precautionary suspension that Council passed was deficient.

“We rely on legal advice from lawyers, so it is very disappointing when that advice was found wanting. However, we know this is the nature of the legal process and we will go back and fix the mistakes.”

The finding has been welcomed by opposition parties. “We believe the suspension was part of DA infighting, and urge the municipality not to appeal against the high court’s decision and thereby further waste ratepayers’ money,” ANC Southern Cape regional secretary Major Sokopo said.

“Knowing the DA, they will use their majority and the support of smaller parties who dance to their tune to push through a decision to appeal. If they do this, they will once again show how reckless they are with the municipality’s funds,” Sokopo said.

The DA George Council suspended Botha last month following a forensic investigation instructed by Local Government MEC Anton Bredell. It related to alleged financial misconduct.

George Municipality communications manager Chantel Edwards-Klose said: “We confirm that Mr Trevor Botha will be reinstated as municipal manager with immediate effect.”

Good party secretary-general Brett Herron said he had lodged a complaint and sent a dossier of evidence to the National Public Protector’s office and had travelled to Pretoria last week to meet the investigators. “Part of my request to the public protector is an investigation and finding on the process conducted by the MEC for Local Government to prepare the so-called forensic report. That investigation produced the report that the DA in George relied on to suspend Botha,” he said.

Councillor Virgill Gericke of the Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners said the DA had caused extensive damage to the image of the city and damaged investor confidence.