/ MEDIA STATEMENT / The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

The ANC and EFF have wasted no time in undoing strides made by the DA during my tenure as Mayor of Gamagara municipality.

On the 29th of May, when I became mayor, I made an undertaking that I would get rid of the expensive official vehicle used by my predecessor and that the savings would be used to rent two bakkies. The vehicle was returned and two bakkies were rented within my first week on the job. One was allocated to the electricity department and the other to the roads department for services. I also declined the services of a protocol driver and security guards, resulting in an additional savings for the municipality.

Soon after the unlawful motion of no confidence (MONC) against me on 7 August, however, the illegal ANC Mayor rented a new Audi, that was not budgeted for. He also re-appointed the protocol driver, who is facing criminal charges for allegedly cutting up a dog up with an axe. The images were posted to social media. The driver position was not advertised and his re-appointment was irregularly made.

In addition to the mayoral vehicle, the EFF speaker rented a bakkie which has allegedly been abused for party political work.

The illegal mayor further paid a contractor to paint over a colourful mural in the municipal offices, of which the paint and the artwork were sponsored. He further changed the locks in the office because the DA stated that I would not hand over my keys while we wait for the outcome of legal action instituted against my unlawful removal.

In as short a time as it took us to place the municipality on a trajectory of good governance and progress, the ANC and EFF have driven the municipality back into the ground. They clearly place their own needs and desires above those of the residents of Gamagara who have been crying out for services.

The difference between the DA and the ANC/EFF should be increasingly clear for everyone to see.

The court date set for the DA’s interdict against my unlawful removal as mayor has been set for 31 August. While we will fight to stay at the helm of the municipality in accordance with the rule of law, the best way that Gamagara residents can fight is to register to vote in 2024, so that we can bring the DA difference to the greater Northern Cape province.

Issued by Henriette du Plessis, Cllr - DA Mayor in Gamagara Municipality