GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - The interim chairperson of the Garden Route Ratepayers Alliance, Jacques Wessels, resigned with immediate effect on Friday 4 July.
The George Ratepayers Association, of which Wessels is also the chairperson, has also stepped back from the alliance, which represents 28 (now 27) local ratepayers associations in the region.
Wessels formally resigned via an email circular on Friday. He wrote: “This decision stems from a fundamental difference in how to approach the resolution of local authority concerns within the executive committee. Clearly, a consolidated approach provides the gravitas to address regional and systemic concerns.
"However, this must be subject to a membership-voted alignment of a mandated ethos and working practices. These should be reflected in a constitution and implemented by an elected committee. Until this is achieved, the current impasse will cause harm to our collective efforts to engage the authorities.”
He said the GRPA is stepping back from the alliance “given that the current resolution approach is outside the George Ratepayers Association’s constitution guidelines.”
Jacques Wessels
Wessels did not want to give further comment, but confirmed that the decision was not triggered by the alliance’s announcement in June of its rejection of the 2025 IDP documents and budgets of the Garden Route District Municipality and the local municipalities in this district, “due to the various authorities ignoring the input from the residents and ratepayers.”
Upon enquiry, David Zeller commented on behalf of the alliance’s executive committee: “The Ratepayers Alliance continues its work, as it has since its establishment over two years ago, without interruption.
"While there were differences of opinion with the interim chairperson of only four months, the alliance remains focused, active and growing.
"Our strength lies in urgent, strategic action, not bureaucracy. The process of formalisation is well under way, while we continue to challenge pressing governance issues.”
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