Update

GEORGE NEWS - It's official - Melvin Naik is no longer the mayor of George. The provincial office of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) confirmed receipt of a letter from George Municipality last week Thursday to inform them of the vacancy.

"The process of appointing a new mayor has already begun, nominations will be requested soon, whereafter an electoral college will take place," said DA Regional Chairperson Jaco Londt.

The DA party has been hard at work to oust Naik since the findings of a forensic report conducted at the instruction of the Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Anton Bredell, was announced on 21 January.

Naik, together with other officials such as Municipal Manager Trevor Botha and Director of Community Services Walter Hendricks, are implicated in the report, which details allegations of bribes and kickbacks, nepotism and corruption relating to a service agreement of over R9-million. 

Both Botha and Hendricks have been placed on three months' precautionary suspension for the duration of an investigation ordered by Council.

Londt said the process of appointing a new mayor is open and any DA member can apply. "If the new mayor comes from the current caucus, a separate process will be followed to elect a new proportional (PR) councillor. If the new mayor is elected from outside the current caucus, he or she will take up the PR position. We expect the above processes to be completed within the next month," Londt said.

When Naik lost his DA membership two weeks ago, he threatened legal action against the party's "unconstitutional" process followed to oust him as mayor. He approached the High Court in Cape Town to obtain an interdict against the DA to reverse their decision to kick him out. 

However, it is unclear whether his application was successful. George Herald's attempts over the last two weeks to establish contact with Naik proved unsuccessful.

IEC provincial spokesperson Courtney Sampson said although the appointment of a mayor is in the hands of the politicians, the IEC has to wait for the ruling of the High Court before a new PR councillor can be appointed.

"We [the IEC] are respondents in the case. The court has to rule on the interdict before the position can be filled."