The Kai !Garib mayor, Trompie Renier (left), the Speaker, Marius Basson (top right), and the acting municipal manager, Monde Alistair January (bottom right), have to step down. Picture: Supplied
AFTER just two weeks of being in office at Kai !Garib Municipality, the mayor, Trompie Renier, the Speaker, Marius Basson, and the acting municipal manager, Monde Alistair January, will have to step down following an urgent court order.
They were elected by nine opposition councillors and one ANC councillor after a vote of no confidence was passed against the previous mayor and Speaker on February 8.
The MEC for Co-operative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs (Coghsta), Bentley Vass, approached the Northern Cape High Court on an urgent basis this week to remove Basson and Renier.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Coghsta, Babalwa Mzambo, said that the judgment was handed down on Wednesday.
She added that the court found that the unlawful council meeting that took place on February 8 as well as all resolutions taken were declared “null and void” as it did not comply with the procedures of calling a council meeting.
“The MEC held a meeting with council on February 9 to salvage the situation.”
Mzambo stated that the legal costs would be borne by the councillors of Kai !Garib Municipality.
January said councillors had opposed the application and were exploring other legal options.
“Basson, Renier and myself will step down in line with the court order, while the ANC Speaker, Ethell Vass, and mayor, Marshall Matthys, will be reinstated. This will leave the municipality without a municipal manager.”
He indicated that he intended to challenge his removal in the Labour Court.
“We may be re-elected should council reconvene to vote in a new mayor, Speaker and municipal manager.”