GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - The delivery of basic services that communities in the Dr Beyers Naude Local Municipality (DBNLM) have been deprived of for so many years, seems to continue to take a back seat while politicians persist to struggle for political power.

It is alleged that the recent removal of Laughton Hoffman as speaker of the municipality was part of a strategy developed by ANC politicians in the DBNLM to oust the DA-led coalition.

The strategy centred around replacing Hoffman with CSA President Cheslin Felix, who agreed to swing a vote of no confidence against the DA Mayor, Ewald Loock, in favour of the ANC.

The vote of no confidence was supposed to be tabled at the next council meeting. In addition, the strategy required EFF Cllr, Tracy-Lee-Ann Plaatjies, to abstain or be on sick leave at the time of the vote of no confidence against the DA Mayor.

Allegedly, this strategy was discussed during a secret meeting between the ANC and the CSA President in Kirkwood on 14 January. It was set in motion the next day when the CSA NEC, without consulting any of the CSA branches in the DBNLM or following any formal disciplinary procedures, served Hoffman with a letter of expulsion with immediate effect.

On 20 January the IEC confirmed the replacement of Hoffman with Felix, and the council meeting was scheduled to take place in Aberdeen on 27 January. 

It is alleged that the reason for taking the meeting to Aberdeen was to prevent disgruntled CSA members, who have been disputing the removal of Hoffman, from wreaking havoc. In an unexpected turn of events, however, both the ANC and the CSA President boycotted the meeting. It is alleged that the ANC councillors first had lunch and then staged a walkout.

The objective of the council meeting was, primarily, to establish the various committees that a municipal council is required to have to render services. Allegedly, the ANC was hoping to be in a position where they get to establish the committees but would have been short in numbers.

The meeting would have elected an acting speaker and the two new councillors, one ANC and one CSA, would then have been sworn in. The DA would have had the acting speaker position in the meeting, enabling them to establish the Committees the way they wanted to establish them.

It is understood that the DA wanted to establish a corruption committee in addition to the committees necessary for service delivery but since the meeting did not have a quorum no committees could be established.

The ANC did not respond to Graaff-Reinet Advertiser's question relating to the reason why they decided to boycott the council meeting. 

Following the failed council meeting of 27 January, another meeting was scheduled for 1 February to swear in the two new councillors and elect a permanent speaker. The DA nominated DA Cllr Eldrige Ruiters and the ANC nominated CSA Cllr Cheslin Felix. Both received 12 votes. Disgruntled CSA members, supported by EFF members, were seen demonstrating outside the meeting.

A follow-up council meeting has to be scheduled within seven days to vote on the position of Speaker. If there is another 12-12 vote at the next meeting, the speaker will be decided by the flip of a coin.

In response to the allegations relating to the conspiracy between the ANC and CSA President to overthrow the coalition, CSA Chairperson, Marchelle Davies, stated that they "are unable to comment on allegations that are hearsay, unfounded and without proof."

The ANC issued a media statement that it is totally and utterly incorrect that the ANC interfered in any way with the developments that led to the removal of CSA Cllr Laughton Hoffman.

They accused the DA of having "white superiority arrogance" and "undermining smaller parties and ignoring the fact that they have constituencies". This statement has been termed an "outdated and a boring race-card narrative that sounds like an old vinyl record" by a concerned community member.

 In addition, it is clear that the CSA NEC does not have the mandate of its constituency since CSA branch members, who feel that they have been reduced to voting fodder, are still in the process of legally disputing Hoffman's expulsion from the party and subsequent removal from the position of speaker, as well as Felix's decision to parachute to the top of the CSA PR list for the DBNLM after he failed to obtain a seat in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality where he was registered as a candidate for ward councillor and at the top of the CSA PR list.

In response to the question relating to the decision to replace Hoffman with Felix instead of allowing the second candidate on the CSA PR list to take over, the CSA chairperson stated that the nature of the situation, along with the instability of the party and its current leadership in the DBNLM, called for a stronger, more politically experienced leader to take up the position and responsibility of being the CSA PR councillor in the DBNLM. "In light of the gross insubordination of Hoffman, we stand by our decision to deploy Felix to show the true heartbeat of CSA."

The disgruntled members have accused Felix of being a sell-out for allegedly supporting the ANC. They made it clear that they will never support the ANC and will do everything in their power to protect the coalition.

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