Cape Town - The GOOD party wants the upcoming by-election in ward 27 in George interdicted after the party and the councillor who resigned smoked a peace pipe.
The by-election follows the resignation of the party’s ward councillor, Richard Hector, who joined the DA.
Days later, Hector withdrew his resignation from GOOD following engagements with the party leadership.
But despite Hector’s change of mind, George municipality speaker Sean Snyman went ahead and declared a vacancy, said GOOD secretary-general Brett Herron.
The party has now turned to the Western Cape High Court to interdict the by-election.
“The facts are that Hector did consider resigning as a councillor due to feeling frustrated at systemic under-delivery in his community. Although they knew it would have no legal standing due to being addressed to a politician instead of the municipal manager, who is not politically aligned.
Opportunists in the DA-led municipality nonetheless manipulated Hector into submitting a resignation letter to the speaker,” said Herron.
“The next thing, Hector was being asked to parade for photographs with DA leader Helen Zille. Realising he was being manipulated, Hector made it clear he did not intend to resign, and Good informed all relevant parties including the IEC and municipality.
“The speaker, in a fit of political pique, went ahead nonetheless to declare a vacancy,” he said.
The George municipality said the matter was now sub judice and the processes of the court will be followed.
DA constituency chairperson in George, Browen Johnson, said they were in possession of video recordings of Hector stating his reasons for his resignation and joining the DA.
“Mr Hector resigned. There’s a video recording where he states his reasons and that he joins the DA. GOOD is collapsing and there was a scramble to do damage control after three of their council members, in wards 16, 20 and 27, resigned in George.
The IEC declared the positions vacant after receiving all necessary documentation.”
But Hector said he never signed any membership with the DA.
“I resigned as a Good councillor as there was a lot of unhappiness among party members in George at that time.
After the resignation there was an intervention from the leadership. They gave all their councillors an opportunity to withdraw their resignation and finish their terms. We all agreed to withdraw at a meeting. My party has never informed the municipality that they can declare a vacancy, but they continued nonetheless,” he said.
IEC provincial electoral officer, Michael Hendrickse, said they were aware of the court action brought by the GOOD party.
“The IEC has been cited as one of respondents. We will be filing our response with the court. We cannot comment further as the matter is sub judice at the moment,” he said.
The by-election is expected to be held in three wards in George in July.
Cape Times