Disgraced Prince still willing to ‘serve ANC’

Beaufort West 110619 Beaufort West Mayor Truman Prince at the Siyabulela Rally. Prince was recently appointed mayor after helping the African National Congress (ANC) secure its only outright majority in a Western Cape municipality in the local government elections.Ayanda Ndamane

Beaufort West 110619 Beaufort West Mayor Truman Prince at the Siyabulela Rally. Prince was recently appointed mayor after helping the African National Congress (ANC) secure its only outright majority in a Western Cape municipality in the local government elections.Ayanda Ndamane

Published Jun 20, 2016

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Cape Town - Controversial Central Karoo (Beaufort West) mayor Truman Prince said he will continue to serve the ANC, even if the ANC does not choose him to again stand as its mayoral candidate.

His name was not amongst those mentioned as mayoral candidates at a late-night ANC press conference at the weekend.

The party’s Western Cape spokesperson Jabu Mfusi said it will only today receive “formal reports” about its mayoral candidates in the province, which will then later be followed by an announcement.

Prince, who had previously been mayor, and earlier the municipality’s manager, left the ANC in 2005 after numerous controversies, including being caught on camera by an SABC television crew soliciting a 14-year-old girl for sex, and assaulting a petrol station cashier.

He then joined current Kannaland mayor Jeffrey Donson who had formed the Independent Civics Organisation of SA (Icosa).

After a falling out with Donson, Prince returned to the ANC like a prodigal son and stood as mayor in 2011, where the party won the municipality with an outright majority after previously ruling there in coalition with Icosa.

Prince said: “The ANC is within its rights to choose its own mayoral candidate.

“I’m not on the regional executive committee, so I don’t know if my name has been sent up (to Luthuli House) for consideration.”

He said the residents of Beaufort West had to decide whether he would be returned as mayor of the municipality, but that the decision was not up to them: “People should be allowed to exercise their choice because sometimes in the structures (of the ANC), these choices are not expressed.

“It’s not real democracy.”

But he reiterated that he was a “deployee” of the ANC, and would go wherever the party decided he must go.

“The mayoral position does not belong to an individual, it belongs to the party and, if the party feels whether or not I am nominated, I will abide by that decision.

“It won’t take away my enthusiasm to work for the ANC to get a victory.”

Cape Times

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