Cape Town - DA Knysna mayor Mark Willemse faces the axe as his own caucus is expected to table yet another motion of no confidence against him during the next council meeting.
It has emerged that the motion, brought by seven of the nine-member DA caucus, had not received the green light from the DA federal executive (FedEx).
Willemse said that he had met with the DA provincial leadership last week and the matter of his position was discussed.
“I again was asked to step down and I explained that the timing wasn’t right as former mayor Eleanore Bouw-Spies had been elevated to the national legislature. They agreed that my resignation should wait until after the by-election for her ward in June.
“I will take this to my constituencys as my priority has always been to serve the residents of Knysna, and I will abide by their decision.”
Willemse said there had been no caucus meeting called, nor was he informed on what grounds the motion was tabled.
More baffling was that the decision was made without the approval of the DA leadership, he said.
Willemse survived two motions of no confidence against him last year.
This was after he was voted in as mayor by opposition parties following a motion of no confidence in his predecessor, Bouw-Spies.
His ally and DA councillor Peter Myers said: “It was baffling that the caucus would take such a step without the surety that they would be able to vote in another DA mayor, due to the numbers in council.”
He said the person leading the motion was DA councillor Michelle Wasserman, who resigned from the council in 2015.
Wasserman said that the decision to table the motion was done by the DA caucus due to various reasons, which will be outlined in an official statement.