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The DA’s claim of good governance is once again exposed as false by another postponement of an urgent council meeting in Oudtshoorn.

With the budget deadline looming, DA Speaker Julia le Roux this week postponed the council meeting scheduled for Thursday to yesterday (FRIDAY).

But yesterday the DA Executive Mayor, Colan Sylvester, and the DA-appointed municipal manager, Allen Paulse, met with several councillors to discuss the urgency attached to the adoption of the budget by the approaching prescribed date.

Sylvester is reported to have requested a meeting for Monday, but it is not certain that the Speaker will call a meeting. Only the Speaker is empowered to call a council meeting.

It is obvious that the DA does not trust its own caucus, and its own mayor, in a council where the DA holds a clear majority. The DA does not know whether or not its own caucus members will be united in council, and cannot risk a council meeting for fear of losing power.

The DA is actively preventing the Oudtshoorn budget from being tabled, and ratified, in some vain attempt to avoid the embarrassment of yet another caucus disintegrating in full public view.

ANC Western Cape secretary Faiez Jacobs appealed to all Oudtshoorn councillors to attend Monday’s meeting. “Anything less would be a complete dereliction of duty. We are fundamentally committed to confronting the shocking governance of Oudtshoorn Municipality. This situation was caused by previous indiscretions by certain DA councillors. Infighting and divisions are worsening the situation. The people of Oudtshoorn deserve better.”

Issued by African News Agency