We as the DA support our councillor in King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality (KSD), Raymond Knock, who was suspended in absentia yesterday. After 2011 elections the DA had, for the first time, councillors in each and every municipality in the former Transkei. We are therefore expecting to see an impact in these municipalities where the DA is holding the ANC accountable. The UDM has been the only party in opposition in these municipalities. Now the DA is also there.
We are expecting the ANC to intimidate our councillors for doing a good job because they do not like to be held accountable.
KSD Municipality has suspended our councillor in a motion of exigency. This motion is unlawful. In the Municipal Systems Act, schedule 1, there is no legal basis for summarily suspending a councillor by the council. There are processes that have to be followed.
Councillor Knock obviously hit a nerve within the ANC camp by pointing out irregularities during the interviewing process for a municipal manager.
This is how the ANC reacts to the heat when they are exposed. The question here is whether it was correct for an interviewing panel to allow a candidate to be given an unfair advantage over others, not whether it was correct for a councillor to expose such information.
I have today written a letter the MEC for Local Government, Mlibo Qoboshiyane, requesting him to intervene in the unlawful suspension of councillor Knock.
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