Cape Town – Knysna ward councillor Peter Myers faces a three-month suspension after being found guilty of breaching the Knysna municipality’s code of conduct.
Myers appeared before a disciplinary committee in November on an accusation that he disclosed confidential administration-related information some time in October 2017.
Knysna municipality spokesperson Chumisa Kalawe said: “The councillor was found guilty by the disciplinary committee which recommended a sanction of a three-month suspension.
"The recommendation will serve before the council at its meeting in January 2019 for a formal resolution whereafter it will be referred to the MEC for Local Government, Anton Bredell, for a final decision.”
Myers said that the disciplinary process was a “blatant political vendetta” against him and he would argue against the sanction recommended by the committee.
He had received the notification about the council charges a day after a DA appeal panel exonerated him and under-fire Knysna mayor Mark Willemse of any wrongdoing in a party, internal matter.
“The disciplinary committee was composed of four councillors, two of whom are fervent supporters of former mayor Eleanore Bouw-Spies, who was voted out as mayor in a vote I supported and resulting in her supporters gunning for me ever since.
"The evidence against me was purely the complainant’s uncorroborated statement and hearsay,” he said.
Knysna Ratepayers Association deputy chairperson Chris Gould said the DA would find itself in a “political Catch 22” if it decided to accept the guilty finding and sanction proposed against Myers.