Embattled George mayor Melvin Naik, who was spared a DA council-led motion of no confidence against him, faced a disciplinary hearing by the party’s federal body instead.
Opposition parties at a special council meeting yesterday were surprised when the motion was not tabled.
ANC chief whip Nomawethu Jantjies said the council was presented with a motion to elect a committee to review alleged maladministration by the municipal manager.
“We were surprised they did not table the motion against the mayor. We placed it on record that we distance ourselves from this committee as the council cannot discipline a municipal employee.
"The meeting was convened and we discovered that the mayor was in a disciplinary hearing,” Jantjies said.
Naik has been accused of amassing support from the opposition to place them in a position to govern in the municipality.
Jantjies said she would not comment. But she said the DA needed to fix the leadership “implosion”, which had affected service delivery.
A new motion of no confidence would be tabled at the next council meeting on June 26, according to Virgil Gericke, leader of the George political party Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners.
“I have yet to see the charges against the mayor, but as I understood it, he was facing the DA’s federal legal commission.The charges, I am informed, were for colluding with the opposition and also for the anti-gay comment made against the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus,” he said.
DA east region head Jaco Londt would not comment on the hearing. However, DA provincial communications manager Odette Cason said Naik's disciplinary hearing was under way.
Asked about the item tabled at council and the status of the mayor, George municipality spokesperson Chantel Edwards-Klose said: “A confidential item was tabled and no comment can be provided."
Attempts to reach Naik were unsuccessful.