Council Meetings; Councillor Suspensions; and High Court Action – Oudtshoorn Online
Council Meetings; Councillor Suspensions; and High Court Action
Drewan Baird. Oudtshoorn. 21 August 2013. 21h00. The Executive Mayor of the Greater Oudtshoorn, Alderman Gordon April, issued a media statement late Wednesday night on the events of a day that saw a council meeting rescheduled and a demand for another vacated; and the suspension of four councollors.
April says that “every decision made and every effect given to impactful decisions made today were the result of careful consideration of meticulously researched information.”
The statement confirms that the convening of Council meetings is regulated by various legislative prescripts, including Council’s Rules of Order.
The DA’s demand, on August 13, for a council meeting ito s29 of the relevant act, could not be met as Rule 30(2)(b) of the Oudtshoorn Council’s Rules of Order states, inter alia, that no discussion shall be permitted on any matter in respect of which a decision by a judicial or quasi-judicial body or a commission of enquiry is pending.
Based on the DA’s persistence in defending the speaker’s High Court application about the DA’s false attempt to take control of council on May 31 – Stoffels v Van Wyk et al – April says that he was confused as to how the DA caucus could have requested the ‘speaker’ to convene such a meeting, since the DA caucus collectively allege that alderman Stoffels is indeed not the speaker.
Accordingly, due to the persistent DA defense of this High Court application the speaker was not in a position to accede to the DA’s request for a Council meeting for their stated reasons, as the subject matter and relevance of their request is currently pending before a judicial body, being the High Court of the Western Cape.
The speaker is the custodian of council affairs, and have a statutory duty to act in the best interest of council, and in such a way that the credibility and integrity of Council is not compromised.
April says that he is of the informed opinion that allowing a discussion based on the DA’s demand would impugn the credibility and integrity of council, especially in the light of the Stoffels v Van Wyk matter currently pending before the High Court.
The speaker has no discretion in this matter, notes April, and the speaker is both duty-bound and legally obligated to have vacated the demand for a meeting to consider motions pending a High Court hearing.
April says that a council meeting will be scheduled shortly in order for council to consider the adoption of the amended/revised 2013/2014 budget.
With regard to the scheduled council meeting for 10h00 Thursday, April says that the speaker was interrupted in his drafting of the relevant notices and the agenda in order to accommodate the DA’s internal ills after he was made aware of DA advocate David Bergström’s communiqué that “the meeting is not going ahead on Thursday, for internal DA reasons”.
In another surprising turn councillors Chris MacPherson, Ben van Wyk and Pierre Nel were suspended as councillors with immediate effect because they are believed to be interfering with an ongoing investigation into the fraudulent settlement in the Pierre Nel v Oudtshoon Municipality matter.
MacPherson is now being investigated together with Nel and Van Wyk for his part in the settlement in lieu of incriminating information brought to the speaker’s attention.
In answer to a speaker’s rights and duties in suspending councillors, April says that the speaker sought legal advice and is satisfied that he acted within his rights in executing his duties to enforce and protect investigations relating to violations of the Code of Conduct.
April emphasised that the suspension of councillor Harmse is a grave matter of particular concern to him.
Serious accusations of bribery and corruption against Harmse have been brought to the speaker’s attention.
Affidavits in the speaker’s possession reveal disturbing behaviour by Harmse over many years.
He was “confident that today’s dauntless decisions confirm good governance in Oudtshoorn”, says April.
“The matters at hand are of a critical moment and in order to protect the integrity of investigations no additional detail can at this time be revealed. No further official comment will be made before the investigations are concluded.”
I will publish an analysis of the events some time tomorrow.
I have, however, become aware that yet another news charge is about to detonate.
Oudtshoorn. Cry the beloved dorp.
2013/08/21 2013/08/23 DB
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9 thoughts on “Council Meetings; Councillor Suspensions; and High Court Action”
2013/08/26 at 08:38
Another One Bytes The Dust die problem is dat Godfery Louw nie sal op tree nie hy kry sy opdragte direk van Theunsie af want Theunsie het hom aangestel. Was dit nou ‘n ANC raadslid sou hy dit lankal gedoen het. Hy weet ook dat sou hy ‘n saak teen Wessie maak hy self onder kruisondervraging uitgewys word as ‘n iemand wat korrup is en daars genoeg bewyse daarvoor. Hy speel politiek soos hy politiek gespeel het deur publieke fondse te gebruik om die DA se regskostes te betaal in 2009. Die aangeleentheid word tans deur die Openbare Beskermer ondersoek.
2013/08/25 at 06:51
Pieter ,die gesegde:grawe `n gat….kan nie op `n beter tydstip kom as nou nie.Vier van die vyf sit vandag sonder `n inkomste,vier gesinne!!! Die oorsaak Wessie van der Westhuisen die heilige koei,die diamantsmokkelaar,die misbruiker van belastingbetalers geld,die man met vele aanhangsels,ons eie Snowden…..die man wat 2 ongeskoolde en onkundige raadslede posvlak 5 poste in Eden aanbied.Dit is duidelik dat Pieter Luiters,Hendrik Ruiters,Jeremy Goliath en Hendrik Botha deur Wessie begrawe is deur beloftes wat nie nagekom is nie, soveel so dat die vier hul lot by Zille gaan bekla het. Ed. dit bekommer my dat Wessie met hierdie onwettige aanbiedinge gaan wegkom. Magtig Ed daar is dan klinkklare bewyse van hierdie onwettige aksies deur die Eden Mayor.Dit druis lynreg in teen die Code of Conduct for Counsillors,die MSA en MFMA.Ronnie behoort hierdie ook deel te maak van die klagstaat.As elke raadslid mense poste aanbied waar gaan dit eindig.Dit is direkte inmenging in die administrasie van die Munisipalit.As Godfrey Louw sy sout werd is behoort hy die heilige koei krimineel aan te kla. .
2013/08/22 at 18:37
Die problem is dat Ben nie politiek verstaan nie en hy glo nog aan die baas. Hoekom het Macpherson nie daai sogenaamde skikkingsakte geteken nie? Want hy het geweet dit is verkeerd. Die arme ou moes hom nie laat misbruik het nie.ek voek nogal jammer vir hom want ek verneem hys ‘n goeie man.
2013/08/22 at 14:20
Baie ou gesegde : grawe n’ gat …………………………
2013/08/22 at 09:38
Arme Tweety laat ek jou reghelp: Ben is `n goeie ou wat eerder `n skoen onder sy gat moet kry omdat hy hom laat misbruik het.
2013/08/22 at 09:14
tweety, as ek so na jou e-posadres kyk verstom dit my dat JY uitsprake kan maak soos jy maak…
2013/08/22 at 09:05
Grap soos j wil oor Ben van wyk. Jy kan jo skoene agter sy gat gooi. Wat daar is vi d saak. Hy het geld. Nie daar vi d pay nie. Jamr as julle nix sleg van hom kan se nie. Nix lekker sappige stories van d ou kolonel nie behalwe d ou “skikking” wat by the way nie eers so is soos beweer nie. Hkm vrees julle hom so? Gaan hy krap en julle drolle een vir een trug druk? Julle soustreintjie se gravy raak nou vinnig op. Hehehe
2013/08/22 at 08:32
Gatvol my tone krul om van Lekkerkry
Wonder net watter party sal Chris Macpherson nog wil he,want hy change partye soos panties.Lek my lippies af vir die Ronnie v Wessie enetjie,want sien ou Wessie het oekal vir maatjies by Ronnie `n joppie gesoek of om hier en daar `n scheme te run.Dankie Ron dat jy eerbaar gebly het.My wedenskap is 99.9% op jou. Wessie moet `n ander naampie kry wat hom beter gaan pas: Wat van Mr Deal/Scheme? Die DA soos dit vir my lyk het arme Nel nou finaal in `n Nazi-konsentrasiekamp geplaas. Ben van Wyk -lyk my die staan voor `n vuurpeleton by die ingang van Riemvasmaak.Verskoon lg figuurlik bedoel.
Ed.jy is `n man duisend.Jy laat die Pilaaaa…re van arme Ou waghond(Nic B) en die van die huidige DA koukus of sal ek na hul verwys as die DA chaos, sidder,
2013/08/21 at 21:57
Hoekom is die ANC steeds in beheer van die raad? Ek dog daar was ‘n verkiesing en so ver my kennis strek het die DA nou die meerderheid stem? Of verbeel ek myself?