KNYSNA NEWS - Former Knysna mayor Aubrey Tsengwa is making a bid to return to the Knysna council in the Ward 8 by-election to be held on 25 June.

According to a posting by the Independent Electoral Commission on 2 June, Tsengwa's nomination as the ANC ward councillor was “submitted as final”.

The ANC's Western Cape leader and spokesperson Mohammed Khalid Sayed confirmed on Tuesday 3 June Tsengwa's candidacy for the Ward 8 by-election.

"We are confident that he will secure the victory of the African National Congress as our candidate, also given his experience in council," said Sayed.

Special investigation
Tsengwa resigned as a Knysna councillor with immediate effect on 31 March. He was removed as mayor after a third no-confidence motion in February.

He resigned as councillor shortly before Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister of local government, could apply a decision to remove him - contained in a special investigation into the conduct of municipal councillors for the appointment of political appointees, which the Western Cape High Court found to be illegal.

Tsengwa said on Tuesday 3 June that he was nominated at a ward community meeting.

A second candidate who stands against Tsengwa is Thobelani Mpongoshe, who has been charged for allegedly assaulting Tsengwa’s brother, Ivan, during an ANC faction fracas in Concordia on Sunday 11 May. Mpongoshe has been released on a warning.

Undermines the ANC
However, Tsengwa still has his temporary suspension from the ANC for "misconduct" hanging over him. His resignation meant that the ANC now face a by-election in Ward 8.

He was informed of his temporary suspension by the ANC provincial secretary Neville Delport, who said his unilateral decision to resign from his ward councillor's seat in the Knysna municipality "has the effect of impeding the organisation's activities and undermines the ANC, which constitutes misconduct in terms of our Constitution".

"As for the matter around his temporary suspension," Sayed said, "that is an internal disciplinary matter which the structure is still engaging on".

Happy
"For now what needs to be known and needs to be put out there is that Mr Tsengwa is the candidate for the African National Congress and we are confident that he will ensure the ANC secures victory in in retaining the ward.

Tsengwa told Knysna-Plett Herald: "I am happy. The community of Ward 8 have shown that they have confidence in me".

Tsengwa was nominated by members of the community "as the person of choice" on Thursday 29 May to contest the by-election necessitated by his resignation as councillor. He has served the community since 2016, then as a proportional representative councillor, "to the best of my ability".

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