Bredell to consider AWOL in council

GEORGE NEWS - Fourteen councillors who broke the code of conduct by staying away from three consecutive council meetings a year ago (28 May, 1 June and 2 June 2020), shortly after the inauguration of Leon van Wyk as mayor, will soon learn their fate from Anton Bredell, minister of local government.

ANC Chief Whip Nomawethu Jantjies-Gushman said on Tuesday the ANC is not anxious about the matter. "If Bredell respects his office, he will treat it as impartially as possible."

Following a lengthy internal disciplinary process, the item was recently discussed in council on 27 May.

The resolution was to request Bredell to consider a sanction for the 13 ANC councillors and one AIC councillor. According to the Code of Conduct for Councillors, councillors have to be removed from council if they miss three consecutive council meetings without an excuse. Only the MEC of Local Government may remove a councillor.

"To date no response has been received from Bredell," said municipal spokesperson Chantèl Edwards-Klose. Bredell's spokesperson, James-Brent Styan, said the department is currently obtaining the information needed to finalise the consideration of the matter from the municipality. "The minister has therefore not yet advised the municipality of the outcomes of his consideration."

In court

A court order by the Cape Town High Court last year compelled the opposition to stay for the duration of a council meeting that was crucial for the tabling of the 2020/2021 budget.

Chief Whip Marlene Barnardt said what is of importance, is that everybody is now aware that they must attend council meetings. "Even if you don't agree on a matter, services have to continue," she said.

Adv Gert van Niekerk of the FF Plus, who formed part of the disciplinary committee, said he is highly satisfied with the proceedings followed during the disciplinary process. "In the end we have to ask ourselves, have the letter and the spirit of the law been followed? Yes or no? They [the 14 opposition councillors] did not apologise for their absence. If the law says you must attend a meeting, then you must attend it," he said.

Not impressed

Jantjies-Gushman said the DA has two different sets of rules - one for their own councillors and one for the opposition. "Two of their councillors committed more serious crimes, but they merely get a slap on the wrist," she said.

"By the way, we have not missed three consecutive meetings. We attended on the 28th of May [last year], but we walked out because the list of issues that have been prioritised by us and agreed upon by the DA, was not included in the budget. On 1 June [last year] I made apologies for all ANC councillors, which the speaker did not accept. He said they needed to give individual apologies." Jantjies-Gushman said even her own apology was not accepted.