2 days ago
DA top brass to blame for party divisions in Beaufort West council, says axed councillor
Japie van der Linde who had been with the DA since 2004 and even represented the party in Parliament, had his membership terminated after the party found him guilty of misconduct for a separate matter.
Image: FILE
THE DA leadership's alleged unilateral decision to nominate a mayor without consulting its Beaufort West caucus led to a breakdown in the council, ultimately resulting in the ANC candidate being elected mayor.
ANC councillor Castro De Bruin was elected mayor despite the DA holding the majority.
Of his seven votes, two were from DA councillors while DA mayoral candidate Georgina Duimpies secured five. One councillor from a different party, was excused from the vote.
Asked about the council meeting and the DA members who went against the party line, Western Cape leader Tertuis Simmers said they had terminated the membership of a second councillor saying: 'It is regrettable when personal ambitions hinder the recovery of an entire municipality'.
Ultimately only one councilor, a proportional representation councillor's membership was terminated the day after the council meeting.
Japie van der Linde who had been with the DA since 2004 and even represented the party in Parliament, had his membership terminated after the party found him guilty of misconduct for a separate matter.
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Van der Linde, who was the speaker in council, said he had worked hard to build the party up from only 12% share of the vote a few years ago.
'I literally put in everything to build up the DA in Beaufort West. The DA had a 12%-13% share when I joined them in 2004. In 2021 I was in hospital for 8 weeks for the elections so we lost all the wards except one. Last year, provincial and national, we won 4 of the 7 wards and after that all three by-elections.'
Last year tensions came to the fore when he expressed dissatisfaction with how certain issues were handled, he said.
'I'm direct, and they don't like that,' he said.
Charges were ultimately brought against him, however van der Linde said they did not stick because he did nothing wrong.
'The disciplinary hearing I was in was two months ago. Those panel members told me there and then that they found no evidence that I transgressed anything.'
Then came the appointment of Duimpies as mayoral candidate around two weeks ago, 'without a process', said Van der Linde .
'We said give the caucus the opportunity to decide or open it up so that those who want to apply can apply for the position as mayoral candidate. She was appointed out of nowhere. So despite the legal commission finding me innocent, the federal executive decided they would find me guilty. Despite their (independent panel) report, it doesn't get accepted. The decision that gets taken, the (federal executive) can outvote it. If they can just outvote it, why did you have an independent legal commission? They could not find me guilty with one charge.
Simmers maintained Van der Linde was to blame for his membership being terminated.
'All members of our party, irrespective of position, are bound by the DA Code of Conduct. For a former member to suggest that the DA wanted to get rid of him is a failure by the former member to accept personal accountability for their actions. The DA's internal disciplinary processes follow due process and its outcomes are communicated to the relevant member, in this matter that is what was done. No other matters, as is being alleged, influence the outcome of a disciplinary matter,' he said. He confirmed a new PR councillor had been appointed.
'The former PR councillor's membership was terminated by cessation based on the outcome of a DA investigation.' In response to the poor service delivery allegations, he blamed the previous administration.
The party will on Wednesday elect a new speaker at a special council meeting.
