Update

GEORGE NEWS - George Mayor Melvin Naik's career in the DA has come to an end after the party terminated his membership on Monday, 4 June. Naik was sworn in as mayor shortly after the local elections on 3 August 2016, but was kicked out of the party this week after his palace revolution plot in the George Council was uncovered.

The Federal Legal Commission (FLC) of the DA has given Naik until noon yesterday, Wednesday 6 June to provide reasons why his party membership should be reinstated.

The cessation of his membership means that Naik will not be able to retain his seat in council and therefore also loses the mayoral chain. Naik declined to comment.

Secret meeting
According to a letter from Nicholas Gotsell, manager of the DA FLC, Naik tried to convince a select group of DA councillors to support his plan to overthrow the DA council at a secret meeting at the home of a DA-councillor in Pacaltsdorp on 20 May. 

According to Gotsell, Naik tried to convince these councillors to support an opposition vote of no confidence in both Deputy Mayor Charlotte Clarke and Speaker Gerrit Pretorius.

This motion was tabled earlier in May by the ANC and was discussed at the latest council meeting on 31 May. The ANC retracted the motion when it became clear that the vote would have to take place through a public show of hands.

How it would work
The Chairman of the DA in George, Marchell Kleynhans, said he also attended the meeting on invitation from Naik.

The mayor apparently tried to sell his plan to the group as follows: When the councillors who voted with the opposition in support of the motion were booted out of the DA and therefore lost their seats in Council, the ANC would pay their salaries for three months until they won their seats as independent councillors at the following by-elections in their respective wards. The ANC would make room in council for Naik as a proportional councillor. The not-so-new, so-called "independent" councillors would be rewarded with a seat on the mayoral committee (and the accompanying high salary). These mayco members would then work with the ANC to facilitate the overthrow of the DA.

"He thought I was desperate and that I would be pulled in by his dirty plan," said Kleynhans. "I did my own detective work. Four councillors phoned me after the meeting saying the mayor is busy with nonsense." According to Kleynhans eight DA councillors, including five ward councillors, attended the meeting. "They listened to him, but did not fall for his plan."

Kleynhans and two of the other ward councillors informed their political heads of Naik's plan. "Why does Naik need to overthrow the ruling council if he is innocent?" asked Kleynhans. Kleynhans was referring to the Hawks' current investigating into allegations of tender manipulation and fraud at the George Municipality. Naik's office and home were among those raided by the Hawks.

Double standards
The regional secretary of the ANC in the Southern Cape, Major Sokopo, told George Herald they naturally spoke to opposition parties about supporting the motion of no confidence, but not to Naik. "We reject the statements made about promises of salaries or promised seats."

"What is happening to the DA in George is not a local issue, but a Western Cape issue. The main reason for our motion of no confidence is to tell the community that we have no trust in the DA. The DA should drop its double standards - they often ask the ANC in parliament for a secret vote."

T-shirts
According to information received the FLC was in George this week to conduct internal hearings. One of the hearings focused on a deposit of R52 000 paid by the 2016 local election management for T-shirts used in their campaign. Naik, three DA councillors and a former DA councillor are said to be involved. Comment from the FLC is being awaited.

*Lees dit in Afrikaans:

George-burgemeester Melvin Naik, se lidmaatskap van die DA-party is opgehef nadat hy glo planne beraam het om die raad omver te werp.

In 'n brief van dié party se federale regskommissie is Naik Maandagmiddag van hul besluit ingelig. Hy is 'n dag gegun om redes aan te voer hoekom sy lidmaatskap heroorweeg moet word, maar het uitstel gevra.

Hy het tot gister (Woensdag, 6 Junie) 12:00 uitstel gekry. 'n Paneel van die kommissie sal oor die redes besin en daarvolgens besluit of hulle volstaan by hulle besluit om hom uit die party te skop.

Die beëindiging van sy DA-lidmaatskap beteken dat Naik nie meer 'n raadslid is nie en dus ook nie meer die burgemeester van George nie. Naik wou nie kommentaar lewer nie.

'n Ontmoeting op 20 Mei by 'n DA-raadslid se huis in Pacaltsdorp het aanleiding gegee tot Naik se val. Luidens 'n brief van Nicholas Gotsell, bestuurder van die federale regskommissie, het Naik gepoog om ander DA-lede te oorreed om 'n opposisieparty te ondersteun, en in die raad saam met dié party te stem vir 'n mosie van wantroue teen die onderburgemeester, Charlotte Clarke, en die speaker, Gerrit Pretorius.

Hierdie mosies is vroeër vandeesmaand deur die ANC ingedien en is tydens die laaste raadsvergadering op 31 Mei in die raad bespreek.

Die ANC het egter die mosies teruggetrek toe dit aan die lig kom dat stemming vir of teen die mosie nie in die geheim gaan plaasvind nie.

Só sou dinge glo werk
Die voorsitter van die DA se kiesafdeling in George, Marchell Kleynhans, het by navraag gesê hy was ook by die geheime ontmoeting nadat Naik hom genooi het. Naik se plan was na bewering dat die raadslede almal saam met die ANC se mosie van wantroue in die speaker en onderburgemeester moet stem.

Naik het dit glo só aan hulle probeer verkoop: Wanneer die raadslede uit die DA geskop word, omdat hulle vir die mosie teen die DA-koukus gestem het, sal die ANC vir hulle drie maande se salaris betaal tot die tussenverkiesings in hul wyke plaasvind. Hulle wen die wyke as onafhanklike kandidate en die ANC maak 'n plek vir Naik as 'n proporsionele raadslid. Die onafhanklike kandidate word beloon met 'n plek op die burgemeesterskomitee en stem saam met die ANC om beheer van die raad oor te neem.

"Hy het gedink ek is desperaat en dat hy my kan intrek by sy vuil plan," het Kleynhans gesê. "Ek het my eie speurwerk gedoen. Vier raadslede het my na die vergadering gebel en gesê die burgemeester is besig met nonsens."

Volgens Kleynhans was daar altesaam agt DA-lede, waaronder vyf wyksraadslede, wat die vergadering bygewoon het.

"Hulle het geluister na sy nonsens, maar hulle het nie sy plan deurgevoer nie," het hy gesê.

Kleynhans en twee ander wyksraadslede het onmiddellik verklarings in hierdie verband aan hul politieke hoofde gestuur. "Benoude katte maak benoude spronge. Hoekom hierdie plan as hy die heeltyd sê hy is onskuldig?" het Kleynhans gesê.

'Dubbele standaarde'
ANC-streeksekretaris van die Suid-Kaap, Major Sokopo, het by navraag gesê daar was geen gesprekke met Naik oor die mosies van wantroue nie.

"Natuurlik tree ons in gesprek met opposisiepartye om ons in daardie verband te ondersteun, maar ons verwerp die verklarings wat gemaak is dat ons met Naik oor 'n oorlopery en salarisse gepraat het," het Sokopo gesê. "Wat met die DA aangaan is nie 'n George-kwessie nie, maar 'n Wes-Kaapse kwessie. Die hoofrede waarom ons 'n mosie van wantroue ingedien het, is om 'n boodskap na die gemeenskap te stuur dat ons geen vertroue in die DA het nie. Hulle moet ophou met hul dubbele standaarde. Die DA het die ANC al talle keer in die parlement versoek vir 'n geheime stemming."

Raadslede voor oor T-hemde
Volgens inligting het die federale regskommissie vroeër vandeesweek in George besoek afgelê om interne verhore te voltooi. Een van die sake wat voorgekom het, is die kwessie oor 'n deposito van R52 000 wat die vorige George-kiesafdelingsbestuur vir T-hemde vir die 2016-verkiesingsveldtog aan 'n besigheid betaal het. Naik, drie ander DA-raadslede en 'n voormalige DA-raadslid, word by die saak betrek. Kommentaar van die federale uitvoerende komitee oor die uitslag van die verhore word verwag.

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