Western Cape MEC for Local Government Anton Bredell briefs media
Adrian de Kock, Gallo Images, Netwerk24
- GOOD party member Brett Herron has accused DA MEC Anton Bredell of plotting to have the Oudtshoorn municipality placed under administration to save councillors from losing their jobs.
- Bredell has denied this and has demanded proof or an apology.
- The council has been under administration before.
Western Cape GOOD party member Brett Herron has been challenged to provide proof that the province’s Local Government MEC Anton Bredell meddled in Oudtshoorn council affairs for political ends, or apologise.
In response to a voicenote and transcription Herron issued on Thursday, Bredell’s office called the move “character assassination” and demanded “a shred of evidence”.
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Bredell’s office said the 15-second clip was recorded during a DA caucus meeting providing legal clarification to the party’s councillors in the event that Oudtshoorn is placed under administration.
“The municipality was experiencing an array of challenges under the mayor at the time, including but not limited to financial sustainability, allegations of fraud, corruption and maladministration characterised by ongoing investigations by the [Hawks], therefore the briefing,” Bredell’s spokesperson James-Brent Styan.
“Since that time, the mayor of the council has resigned.”
He said Bredell’s discussions were intended “to bring a sense of normality to the municipality so that service delivery to its citizens can continue uninterrupted. None of the comments on the clip is illegal or suggesting any illegality”.
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A purported transcript of the clip, published on Twitter by Herron, suggests that Bredell assured the members of the mayoral committee that they would not lose their jobs, and, in fact, the free time would give them time to reconnect with their constituencies for the purposes of building party support ahead of the next local government elections.
Herron alleged that Bredell was secretly recorded “plotting with Oudtshoorn councillors to place the town under provincial administration, under his direct control – and promising he would ensure that they kept their jobs and salaries”.
DA has lost all sense of separation of powers, between party & state, and is openly abusing their provincial government powers. Bredell created a untenable situation for himself – secretly recorded proposing a political solution for the administration of #Oudtshoorn ??transcript pic.twitter.com/P08N82yzaV
— Brett Herron (@brettherron) June 18, 2020
He alleged that Bredell was instituting “town capture” as he was addressing the meeting as the DA Western Cape chairperson.
Herron, a member of the provincial legislature, is a former DA councillor who left during the DA’s fallout with former Cape Town mayor, Patricia de Lille.
He said the alleged plan was for the councillors to ask to be placed under administration, unlike in Tshwane where politicians lose their positions and salaries in such situations.
Bredell’s statement said that he had a record of taking strong action against councillors, and in George it was he who had asked for a Hawks investigation into that council.
“The options presented to the Oudtshoorn DA caucus, was not illegal and in fact, three years ago, similar action was taken – also in Oudtshoorn – in co-operation with (then Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs) Minister Pravin Gordhan.
“In fact, the recording makes it clear I was putting the needs of the people of Oudtshoorn first ahead of the party. If an administration of a sort had indeed happened, it would have meant the DA – my own party – would not have been in control. This further points out the flaws in the allegations making the rounds at the moment,” said Bredell.
