Lie detectors seem to lie well with DA

KNYSNA NEWS - Should the DA subject its councillors in Knysna to lie detector tests, it will not be the first time the party goes to this extreme to gauge the loyalty of its representatives.

In September 2017, DA councillors in Mogale City were given lie detector tests to determine who had voted with the ANC to oust DA mayor Michael Holenstein.

However, DA Gauteng leader John Moodey stated that the testing was voluntary in Mogale City as caucus members had wished to clear the air. He also said that this practice should not become the norm.

In Knysna, the claims that DA councillors could be asked to take the test surfaced in a Facebook post last week by ANC councillor Claudine Croutz. She wrote that after the DA failed in its bid to oust the current leadership, the party plans to use lie detector tests on its councillors and the ACDP councillor.

Asked who her source was, Croutz said the post is based on information on the Knysna grapevine. "I wrote the posts and you can confirm it with the DA," she said.

With the support of the single ACDP representative on council, the DA, that has 10 seats in Knysna, planned to oust Mayor Elrick van Aswegen, Speaker Mertle Gombo and Deputy Mayor Aubrey Tsengwa with a Motion Of No Confidence on 4 January.

The DA's take-over bid was dashed when one of these councillors voted against the motion, keeping the DA in the opposition benches.

The DA last week would not confirm or deny claims that the party planned to use lie detector tests to ferret out the dissident voter.

On Monday, DA constitutional head in Knysna Dion George had nothing to say on either the incident in Mogale City or submitting the councillors in Knysna to a lie detector test.