As an update, the ANC councillors attempted to hold a council meeting on 6 September in the Council Chambers. The six ANC councillors attended, but the six DA councillors and Cllr Lobese sent apologies, so there was not a quorum and the meeting could not take place. Council remains captured by the minority.
The DA/AUF majority, apart from excusing themselves from meetings called by the speaker, have failed to use their majority to call a council meeting and discharge their duty to provide DEMOCRATIC government to the town and its people.
As the situation stands, Bitou enters its third month of no council meetings, has a questionable budget, and an illegitimate “acting mayor” taking unlawful decisions with far reaching implications.
The Ratepayers’ Association has written to the MEC for Local Government formally bringing the complete collapse of democracy in the Bitou Council to his attention but have received no response.
It appears that both the political parties and the Western Cape Government are unconcerned by the failure of incumbent councillors to hand over power when the democratic process requires, and that other councillors are too fearful to stand up against the destruction of democratic government and to protect the Constitution and the Constitutional rights of those who voted them in and trust them, at the very least, to do so.
Kind regards,
Peter Gaylard
Chairman
