Cape Town - Errant city councillor Grant Twigg has been suspended from all DA caucus activity including the party’s breakaway session currently under way in Gordon’s Bay, for allowing himself to be elected as the Subcouncil 2 chairman against the party mandate.
Councillors Marian Nieuwoudt, Carin Brynard, Xoliswa Pakela-Mapasa and Brenda Hansen have also been suspended pending an inquiry. Nieuwoudt proposed Twigg for chairman at Tuesday’s inaugural subcouncil meeting and the others supported the nomination despite a party directive that councillor Clive Justus be elected.
Twigg confirmed his suspension to the Cape Argus on Thursday, saying he would await the next steps of action against him from the DA’s federal executive. The suspended group was not allowed to attend the party’s two-day breakaway session, which started on Thursday.
They were sent letters on Tuesday evening after they had elected Twigg, asking them to provide reasons to chief whip Shaun August why they should not be suspended for bringing the party intodisrepute.
“Based on these submissions, the caucus executive has decided to suspend all five councillors from caucus activities and meetings with immediate effect and until such time as the allegations have been investigated and any disciplinary process has been concluded,” said DA spokeswoman Anneke Scheepers.
She said the matter would now be referred to the federal executive chairman, James Selfe.
Any investigation into their actions will have to be sanctioned by the federal executive.
Twigg, who has already served as the subcouncil chairman for 10 years, maintains he was endorsed by the DA’s city caucus for re-election. But, at the eleventh hour, he was informed by Justus he was the one to be voted for. Justus abstained from Tuesday’s vote.
Scheepers said before that meeting, all DA-led subcouncils received a mandate on whom to elect as chairman. By ignoring the mandate to vote for Justus, the suspended councillors had gone against the DA’s federal constitution, she said.
It is understood the suspended councillors backed Twigg because of his reputation as a successful chairman and his relationship with the local community. Justus is not a resident of the area. The subcouncil comprises Scottsdene, Kraaifontein, Brackenfell, Wallacedene and parts of Kuils River.
Party insiders intimated Twigg’s nomination was retracted due to factional battles and outspokenness within the caucus.
Cape Argus