The political turmoil in Oudtshoorn is far from over with local party Suid-Kaap Saamstaan now claiming it’s “being eaten alive by faction fissures” within its own ranks.
Saamstaan took centre stage of the cash-strapped municipality’s political arena, this week, after the ANC’s Chad Louw and Advieskantoor’s Leon Campher was respectively ousted as mayor and deputy mayor.
The DA’s highly controversial Chris Macpherson was elected new mayor. Saamstaan leader Mlandeli Nyuka replaced Campher.
Nyuka was recently ousted after a so-called faction wrote a letter to Western Cape MEC for local government Anton Bredell saying that he must be removed and that his position should be declared vacant.
"The faction terminated my membership as member of Saamstaan in their illegal disciplinary hearing,“ Nyuka told Weekend Argus.
The Electoral Court then overturned the decision.
“After they lost the case they said they will approach High Court, we are waiting for them,” Nyuka said.
“But for now we believe justice has been served.”
Nyuka added: “I wish that the legitimate Saamstaan can be given an opportunity to govern and serve the community. We want to focus on service delivery not petty politics or a play for power.”
Nyuka alleged that a guy with the name Schapiro Michaels heads up one of the factions within the party.
Michaels denied this vehemently, saying he is the deputy leader of the party and not part of “any faction”.
“We can’t work with Nyuka because he have a reputation, he came out of prison for sexual assault, common assault and the breaking of interdicts,” Michaels told Weekend Argus.
“We have contacted the IEC in an attempt to take him down and we succeeded. But sadly it got overturned.”
Nyuka said Michaels is not his deputy.
“Shapiro Michaels was never the deputy president of party, I employed him as campaign manager of the party for the 2021 elections,” he said.
“He resigned from that position since he is working for the Department of Social Development. He is a chance taker.
“He was simply employed by Saamstaan as a campaign manager.”
The name Saamstaan stems from the Anti-Apartheid Movement Newspaper of the same name which was formed in Oudtshoorn by the likes of Reggie Oliphant and Mansoor Jaffer.
It covered articles about all atrocities happening in the Southern Cape.
Nyuka said he is now trying to get his house in order and won’t hesitate to resort to legal action.