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GEORGE NEWSFLASH - A drastic reshuffle in the George mayoral committee, and the transferring of Speaker Iona Kritzinger and Chief Whip Michael Nyakati to the mayco, were announced at a DA media briefing at the George Municipality this morning, Saturday 16 December.
Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC Anton Bredell announced the news in person.
This follows increasing complaints over the past year that in-fighting among and the conduct of DA councillors are having an effect on service delivery and are tarnishing the DA’s image.
Regional Chairman Jaco Londt, George Constituency Head Tertuis Simmers and George Mayor Melvin Naik were also present at the briefing.
Four councillors - Mercia Draghoender, Belrina Cornelius, as well as Gert Niehaus and Johan Stander, the two councillors whose fight about a parking bay at the municipality had escalated into a court case – will be replaced on the 12-member mayoral committee.
Bredell said their replacements must be submitted by the Provincial Executive to the Federal Executive for approval.
The Provincial Executive must also nominate appropriate replacements for the positions of Speaker and chief whip for approval by Fedex.
Furthermore, the George caucus must hold a fresh election for the position of caucus chairperson, currently held by Jean Syfers.
Bredell confirmed that the councillors were not told why they were moved since Fedex is not required to give reasons.
Fedex’s main aim is service delivery.
George is not where it should be as far as this is concerned and the George councillors are not moving forward as a team.
He said the councillors accepted the announcement in a good spirit.
Bredell will be pushing Fedex to deal with disciplinary complaints against certain councillors by the end of January and a forensic investigation will be launched into allegations of political interference in administrative affairs.
The minister also announced that DA George Constituency Head Tertuis Simmers will be replaced by an MP or MPL “who is less involved in the caucus’s affairs”.
Simmers will in future be more involved with the building of regional structures.
The Provincial Executive must also place Mayor Naik on a programme to enhance his leadership, management and conflict resolution skills.
His performance will be monitored by Londt.
These drastic moves come in response to a report by a sub-committee that has been investigating matters in the George Municipality during the past year.
The investigation started after Bredell visited George in June last year.
Read the full statement below:
Read more in Thursday's George Herald and online.
ARTICLE: ALIDA DE BEER, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST
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