Hot on the heels of Jeffrey Donson’s re-election as mayor of Kannaland, placing the municipality under administration has been discussed as a possible solution to the conflict-ridden council.
But Western Cape MEC for local government, Anton Bredell, said it would “only be implemented as a last resort”.
“During the section 106 process, which is already in motion, we are supporting the municipality, to try and turn it around,” he said, adding that it was a “lengthy process”.
Bredell said a municipality should be placed under administration only when it is incapable of functioning.
“The evaluation process that must lead to administration is different and complicated … we follow the prescripts of the law,” he said.
The municipality has been hit by instability since Donson was elected and then voted out as mayor shortly after the 2021 elections.
But 10 months after he was booted out, Donson, was re-elected in the position of mayor after his Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa’s (Icosa) successfully ousted the ANC’s Nicky Valentyn as mayor, his deputy, Leoni Stuurman, and the municipal manager, Ian Avontuur.
Werner Meshoa, also from Icosa, is back in the seat of deputy mayor following Friday’s special council meeting.
The pair were first voted out after it emerged that they had previous convictions for fraud in Meshoa’s case and statutory rape for Donson.
Donson was convicted for the rape of a then 15-year-old girl in 2008.
Just three months ago, the council wrote to Bredell asking that he suspends the Icosa councillor after an internal investigation found him guilty of financial misconduct – a request the MEC shot down.
Fresh allegations of financial management were levelled against the municipality this week by the DA who accused the then ANC-led council of using rate-payer funds to pay for costly legal battles with Bredell’s office.
The latest legal saga in the Western Cape High Court related to the declaration of a vacancy for the Speaker Rodge Albertus’s council seat after his party, Kannaland Independent Party (KIP), gave him the boot.
The DA’s interim leader in the Western Cape, Tertius Simmers, said the extent of alleged fruitless and wasteful expenditure by the previous ANC-led Kannaland council was concerning.
“It is alleged that an amount of R1.83m remains outstanding for legal representation on behalf of two current ANC councillors, and the former KIP councillor who apparently served without a KIP mandate until the October 13 judgment removed him.
“In addition to the outstanding amount, an alleged R798 000 had been paid in these matters on or about September 26. Current investigations are expected to reveal additional earlier payments,” said Simmers.
But Albertus denied the claims, stating that he footed his own legal bill.
"I am an honourable man and I do not use the council's money to pay my legal fees,“ Albertus said.
“The leader of the DA in the Western Cape must use his words carefully, as well as the so-called leaders of KIP and Icosa. I am of the opinion that they are selling baseless facts that are misleading to the residents of Kannaland,” he said.
GOOD’s Brett Herron said commencing with a section 106 process was the correct move.
“Providing support is the MEC’s legal obligation. I welcome it … He must still deal with the maladministration of irregular appointments and the misuse of public funds for legal costs,” Herron said.
“Placing a municipality under administration, which removes the powers of the council, is a significant interference in a democratically elected government. To some extent it overrides democracy and thus it should never be abused.”
ANC’s Cameron Dugmore said it was the DA which was failing Kannaland.
“Bredell has been making promises for four years to support the municipality with infrastructure, financing. This has never happened,” he said.
“Bredell must match his words with concrete commitments to Kannaland. Administration is an option that must be considered if the situation doesn’t improve.”
Action Society’s Ian Cameron said Donson should tender his immediate resignation.
“The council is failing to eradicate the scourge of gender-based violence in our country. By allowing someone like Donson to serve in public office makes them complicit in what has become the biggest human rights violation of our time,” Cameron said.
Attempts to reach Meshoa and Donson for comment were unsuccessful.
Weekend Argus.