KNYSNA NEWS - DA member and former speaker in Knysna Council, Julie Lopes, today tendered her resignation from council.

DA Knysna Constituency Head Dion George confirmed Lopes' resignation to Knysna-Plett Herald this afternoon, Friday 2 June. Lopes handed in her resignation this morning.

She was elected to council following the 2021 Local Government Elections (LGE) as one of the Democratic Alliance's three PR councillor seats. She was subsequently made speaker in council before she was ousted from her position and replaced by the ANC's Mncedisi Skosana in September 2022 when the ANC-led coalition consisting of the ANC, PA, PBI and EFF took power in council.

Lopes continued to serve as a PR councillor though, until her resignation today. George confirmed that she will be replaced by whoever who was next on the list of their candidates for the 2021 LGR.

By virtue of this list, her replacement is set to be Luzuko Tyokolo, who was the DA's fifth candidate behind current Ward 1 Councillor Levael Davis, now former PR councillor Lopes, and then current PR councillors Elmarie Maxim and Jason White.

Knysna Municipality's communications team was unable to provide comment on the matter at the time of writing as they are yet to receive Lopes' resignation letter.

UPDATE, 18:30 - Knysna Municipality's communications team has confirmed their receipt of Lopes' resignation letter, and will provide comment in due course.

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