Former Kannaland mayor Jeffrey Donson, who was convicted of statutory rape years ago, has been ousted from his position after the majority of councillors voted against him in the motion of no confidence on Wednesday.
Donson and his deputy Werner Meshoe refused to step down after it emerged they had criminal convictions.
Donson, the leader of the Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa (Icosa), clung to the position for the past few months after calls from political parties and civil society rang out since his election in November, that he should resign because of his rape conviction.
He was convicted of raping a 15-year-old girl in 2008 and he went to the Western Cape High Court to appeal the matter and was handed a suspended sentence.
The ANC pulled out of the coalition deal with Icosa over Donson’s rape conviction.
It was after the ANC had internal discussions over the matter following the furore.
A few days ago members of the Kannaland council brought a motion of no confidence against him.
On Wednesday members of the council voted to remove him from his position as mayor.
The council has resolved that speaker Nicolaas Valentyn should take over as mayor.
Since calls for him to resign from gender groups and political parties from last November Donson refused.
But his party, Icosa, backed him to stay on.
Meshoe was also convicted of fraud and later axed as a teacher over sexual misconduct charges with a learner.
Political Bureau