Update
KNYSNA NEWS - Knysna mayor Mark Willemse welcomed Ian Uys*, the new ACDP representative, to council when he took the oath of office on Thursday 16 August.
Uys was sworn in at a special ceremony held in the Speaker's chambers and said he looks forward to serving the town and working with council.
According to Willemse, Uys with his wealth of expertise, especially his finance experience, will be of great benefit to council and the communities it serves.
Uys has replaced Shakespeare Arends as the ACDP’s councillor in the Knysna council.
Asked why he was replaced, the usually soft-spoken Arends said his party recalled him, and at first referred the Knysna-Plett Herald to the ACDP's Facebook page for further answers. "I am happy with their decision," he said.
According to a 17 August post on the ACDP Western Cape Facebook page, the party instructed Arends to "not support the motion of no confidence" against Willemse at a council meeting on 2 July.
"But Mr Arends proceeded to disobey this instruction and he was subsequently expelled from the ACDP following a disciplinary process during which he pleaded guilty to the nine internal charges laid to him," said ACDP provincial leader Ferlon Christians.
Arends retorted by saying he disobeyed the instruction because previous instructions were made not to support anything that would benefit the ANC. "At that point it was the case – the vote would have supported the ANC," Arends added. "How would I have explained this to the people who support me?” he wanted to know.
What’s next for Arends now that he will no longer serve on council? He said that after licking his political wounds for a while, he will still remain involved within the community he served.
Knysna mayor Mark Willemse (left), new ACDP representative Ian Uys, and Speaker Georlene Wolmarans.
* The ACDP's post also included the following information on Knysna's new councillor:
"Uys is a descendant of Knysna’s first settler of 1770 and has lived in Knysna for the past 21 years as a practising chartered accountant. During his varied career he has been an author, pilot, soldier, Comrades runner, boxer, farmer and resort owner. As a politician he first ran for parliament in 1989 for the Democratic Party in the Germiston district. And as the ACDP candidate in the 2016 election, he contested Knysna’s Ward 9, which the current mayor represents. Ian is a father of three and grandfather of five. Recently widowed, Ian is a member of the Knysna Rotary Club, the Moths and Probus. He runs the Parkrun each week but grudgingly admits that the mayor beats him. He was also awarded the De Wet Decoration for commando activities during the Border War.
Article: Staff Reporter
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