GOOD Statement by Brett Herron,
GOOD Secretary-General & Member of Parliament
7 June 2023
The GOOD party will be in the Western Cape High Court tomorrow to fight the declaration of a by-election called for Ward 27, Pacaltsdorp, in George, as there is no vacancy.
Duly elected GOOD Councillor Richard Hector never officially resigned as the councillor for Ward 27 or from GOOD.
Despite Hector making it clear that he never intended to resign the vacancy was declared by the Municipal Manager.
This matter is clearly being driven by the DA Speaker without any regard to due process.
Surprisingly, the George Municipality is the only respondent, in the urgent application to the High Court, that has opted to oppose the application in court.
We would have expected the Municipality, and in particular the Municipal Manager, to have no interest in this political fight, and as an administrator to have adopted a neutral approach.
Both the IEC and the MEC for Local Government, who are also respondents, have given notice that they would abide by the court’s decision.
The voters in Pacaltsdorp chose to elect a GOOD councillor to represent them and GOOD will not allow the DA to abuse their role in government to subvert the choice of the voters.
GOOD also intends to defend Councillor Hector’s position as the elected ward councillor.
In wards 16 and 20, where former councillors Theresa Jeyi and Neville Louw, defied the choice of the voters and succumbed to DA incentives to join the DA, we will contest the by-elections so that voters can demonstrate to the DA that it is the voters who choose their councillors and not DA leaders.
Media Enquiries:
Brett Herron, GOOD Secretary-General & Member of Parliament
Cell: 082 518 3264
Email: bretth@forgood.org.za
Janke Tolmay, GOOD Media Manager
Cell: 073 367 1223
Email: janke@forgood.org.za