Cape Town - DA councillors in the Eden District Municipality are questioning the credibility of one of their own, who effectively escaped disciplinary action despite being accused of electricity theft, driving without a licence and forging a police letter.
DA members in the Southern Cape are now objecting against the DA's decision to place Tertuis Simmers in the prime slot on the party's proportional representation list.
Simmers's ranking as a proportional candidate on the DA's Eden District list raised the anger of his fellow party members, in light of the fact he has been in hot water on numerous occasions over the past three years.
He made headlines in February 2013 for driving without a licence.
In January this year, an urgent motion tabled by the ANC to discuss Simmers's alleged fraudulent activities, including electricity theft and driving without a valid driver's licence, was not carried by the Eden Council.
The councillor was subsequently accused of misleading the council by allegedly submitting a forged police letter indicating the case against him had been finalised and removed from the court roll.
George Municipality had laid a charge against Simmers in terms of the Electricity Act.
The matter was up for discussion at a council meeting in April, but Speaker Doris Nayler distributed the disputed police letter, effectively putting the matter to bed.
Eden mayor Wessie van der Westhuizen was not convinced and approached the police to verify the letter's authenticity.
Last month, the council learned the charges against Simmers had been withdrawn by the George Municipality.
The DA's East Region manager, Jaco Londt, said the aspersions being cast on Simmers were baseless.
Londt confirmed the electricity theft case was withdrawn by the George Municipality and that Simmers was in possession of a valid driver's licence.
Regarding the suspected forgery, Londt said the internal police investigation was still ongoing and referred media enquiries to the police.
"Regarding the independent legal opinion by the municipality - the finding is that councillor Simmers, on a balance of probability, cannot be held responsible for the breaching of the meter," he said.
Asked for comment, Simmers referred enquiries to the party.
Southern Cape police spokesman Captain Malcolm Pojie said though the electricity theft case had not been finalised, the State would not prosecute.
He added the forgery case was still under investigation.
Cape Argus