Cape Town - In a surprise move, the Speaker of the embattled Oudtshoorn Municipality, John Stoffels, handed in his resignation on Thursday, putting an end to his controversial reign.
Stoffels, who represents the National People’s Party (NPP) in the town’s council, has been a thorn in the side of both the DA and the ANC in recent months.
Local Government MEC Anton Bredell confirmed the resignation, which was made during a special council meeting, adding that a temporary speaker – DA councillor Chris Macpherson – had been elected.
“The council is expected to meet again early next week. I am following the new developments closely,” Bredell said.
The municipality confirmed that Stoffels had tendered his resignation at a meeting attended by 15 councillors from the DA, NPP and the Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa (ICOSA), although the body’s nine ANC councillors were not there.
The ANC in the province described the move as an “unholy” alliance between the DA and their new ally, the NPP’s Badih Chabaan.
DA caucus leader, Wessie van der Westhuizen, commended Stoffels for “delivering an excellent job under such difficult circumstances”.
Macpherson said the move was the beginning of building one Oudtshoorn with one future, based on “freedom, fairness and opportunities for all citizens”.
“Today is a start of a process where government will be given back to the people as it is the people that should govern and not just a few,” he said.
Western Cape ANC secretary Faiez Jacobs said the DA had broken its word on a deal put together by national Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Pravin Gordhan to support the municipality and restore good governance.
Jacobs said the ANC was disgusted by the DA’s underhanded behaviour. The ANC said: “The DA brought over five ANC councillors more than a year ago and tried to grab power at an illegal council meeting which plunged the council into an impasse and now it brought Chabaan over too.”
Jacobs added: ”It is ironic that the DA jumps into the bed with Chabaan, as it is the very same DA that vilified him (and) portrayed him as a gangster... Now, all of a sudden, they gang up with Chabaan.”
The town’s council is seeking an extension from Bredell to review the 2015/16 budget which it rejected earlier this week.
Under the constitution, the municipality will ask Bredell not to intervene pending a council meeting on July 10.
Cape Argus