The Cape Town High Court on Wednesday postponed a case against Western Cape MEC for Local Government Anton Bredell.
The case, which will now be argued and determined on October 6, was brought by the acting municipal manager of the beleaguered Kannaland Municipality, Ian Avontuur.
The municipality is governed through an ANC and Kannaland Independent Party union.
Avontuur alleged that the MEC wrongfully declared a vacancy in council while he (Avontuur) declined to do so.
The vacancy is that of the municipality’s Speaker, Rodge Albertus, who recently conducted an investigation against three Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa (Icosa) councillors for fraud, theft and corruption, which led to council deciding to remove them as councillors. “Weekend Argus” broke the story.
Bredell, however, refused to adhere to that request, but instead chose to remove Albertus from office on request of the very same Icosa councillors, which includes the leader of the party, Jeffrey Donson.
Bredell applied for a postponement for more time to prepare answering papers.
“The case is about the unlawful usurping of powers and functions by the MEC that belongs to local government, for ulterior purposes,” Avontuur told “Weekend Argus”.
In the meantime, Bredell is faced with a further request from the Icosa councillors to convene and chair a council meeting where it planned to have this case removed from the court roll.
“I doubt, however, that the MEC will do it in light of the court order today in granting his postponement application on strict terms and only for one week,” Avontuur said.
Bredell’s spokesperson, Wouter Kriel, told “Weekend Argus” that they don’t want to comment.
“No comment at this stage, as we are in a legal process and do not wish to compromise it,” he said.
Weekend Argus