PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Despite two court orders instructing the Bitou council to elect a mayor, the coastal holiday haven remains rudderless as the battle for power continues.

The latest twist came on Friday 9 July when a majority of councillors - six DA councillors and former mayor Peter Lobese of the Active United Front (AUF) - scheduled a special council meeting to elect a mayor as ordered by the Western Cape High Court on 1 July.

While trying to find an alternative venue for the meeting after the council chamber keys, including spares, mysteriously went missing, the group of councillors were informed that the ANC councillors were appealing the court's decision and consequently the meeting was placed on ice.

This constituted the umpteenth delay in a turbulent process that has to date lasted more than three months, starting when Lobese was ousted after a unanimous vote of no confidence in April. Lobese thereafter became a PR councillor, after which he and the DA councillors attempted to topple the ANC-run municipality last month by electing DA Caucus Leader Bill Nel as mayor. The election took place during a special council meeting attended by only the DA councillors and Lobese, which represented the majority of councillors as the DA has six seats in council, the ANC six and the AUF one. Lobese sided with the DA.

The ANC turned to the Western Cape High Court to challenge the election. The court ordered that among others, Nel's election as mayor was null and void and ordered a special council meeting for a re-election on 8 June. The court also ordered that the election of mayor should be the first order of business, but during the meeting the speaker, Euan Wildeman, first moved to suspend Lobese, referencing a criminal case involving alleged corruption, fraud and racketeering against him. This blocked Lobese's vote for a new mayor which led to a split vote between the DA candidate, Nel, and the ANC candidate, Deputy Mayor Sandiso Gcabayi.

Following this, the DA approached the court and asked to declare Lobese's suspension unlawful as proper disciplinary procedures had not been followed. 

The court found in the DA's favour and ordered Wildeman to convene a meeting for the election of a mayor on 9 July, failing which a majority of councillors should convene the meeting.

Wildeman failed to convene the meeting, leaving the rest of the councillors to do so, but when they arrived at the council chambers, the keys had mysteriously gone missing. The meeting was moved to the councillors' offices in Seawitch Street, but before this could take place they were informed that the ANC councillors had applied to appeal the court order. Councillors explained that usually, with an interlocutory court order, the appeal process is not allowed, but that it had been done and consequently the provisions of the 1 July order were suspended.

The status quo remains until the court's decision on the appeal.

'We bring you the latest Plettenberg Bay, Garden Route news'