GOOD Statement by Donovan Saptoe,
GOOD Garden Route District Councillor
5 June 2023
The GOOD Party calls on the former Mossel Bay ward councillor Anco Barker to urgently make public the details of alleged misconduct by the DA caucus in the municipality.
Barker resigned last week saying she could no longer remain silent about alleged fraudulent actions by her colleagues that could be detrimental to residents.
She accused the DA caucus of having acted in an unfit, dishonest and untransparent manner, by means of willingly and knowingly withholding critical information from agenda items to mislead council.
It’s not uncommon for DA-run municipalities to simply bring issues to council for them to be noted, before pushing it through, often with serious concerns and objections from opposition. This is clearly no different in Mossel Bay where the DA holds 19 of the 29 seats.
However, if this conduct saw key information being withheld from the opposition to secure further support for DA decisions, residents deserve to know what the party was willing to gamble with as part of its political games.
The law compels all councillors as part of their oath of office to act honestly and with integrity. There is therefore a duty on them to provide details of any dishonest actions, and if the matter is criminal in nature, to report it to the relevant authorities.
If Barker chooses not to provide the necessary information, as she has stated that she is not ready to do so at this stage, the Mossel Bay Mayor would do well to step forward and take the residents into his confidence, or immediately launch an investigation into the matter.
Allegations of dishonesty and fraudulent actions in council are serious, and cannot be ignored or simply left unresolved, especially if it impacts the lives of residents and service delivery in town.
Media Enquiries:
Donovan Saptoe, GOOD Garden Route District Councillor
Cell: 082 401 2935
Email: dsaptoe64@gmail.com
Janke Tolmay, GOOD Media Manager
Cell: 073 367 1223
Email: janke@forgood.org.za