PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Bitou mayor Claude Terblanche delivered an emotional response to happenings at a Bitou special council meeting that was called to get rid of him after six months as mayor.
Terblanche, of the PDC, along with the other ANC coalition partners will still remain in their posts for at least another seven days, following the postponement of the meeting by speaker Sandiso Gcabayhi for seven days.
"Today, we can choose to react with vengeance, anger, revenge, payback and spitefulness. We can choose to react with witch-hunts, with aims to divide and conquer, we can choose to react as destroyers, we can choose self-interest, we can choose to be blindly loyal followers or we can choose to react as leaders.
'Forgiveness, humility'
"We can choose forgiveness, humility, honour, truth and peace. We can choose to unite. We can choose the people of Plettenberg Bay, we can choose to not be game-changers, but we can choose to change lives, we can choose to change communities.
"I am Claude Terblanche, representative of Plett Democratic Congress, ward councillor for ward 4, New Horizons but most importantly a representative of all Bitou, from Harkerville to Covie.
"I was not chosen by Plett Democratic Congress to be an executive mayor or hold any political office for that matter, I was chosen by Plett Democratic Congress and elected to represent firstly my ward, ward 4, and secondly every citizen of this town, especially those who have been left behind for years.
'Outside looking in'
"Those who were never given the same opportunities, those who were always left behind, those who were always on the outside looking in.
"One of the saddest messages I received this week was, 'Ai Claude, is daar nou weer geen geleenthede vir ons se kinders en ons mense nie. Gaan ons nou weer aan die agter speen suig' (Oh Claude is there now no longer opportunities for our children and our people… are we again going to suck the hind teet?)." He said regardless of the motion of no confidence in him, "I have confidence. I have confidence that the cries of our people, are still far from being addressed. I have confidence that there is still much to do to have our staff truly feel your words Cllr (Nokuzola) Kolwapi… 'my municipality, my resource'.
'Collective leadership'
"I have confidence that we still have a mountain to climb in our efforts to enhance our revenue. I have confidence that self-interest is not the way to achieve that, but collective leadership, unity and administrative stability is how we achieve this.
"I am confident today Cllr (Dave) Swart that staff are nervous as with any change in leadership, there are rumours of 'hit lists' and witch-hunts.
"I plead that we as a collective can give staff the assurance that stability in the administration is a top priority for the 13 of us.
"I am confident today that staff members are fearful of losing their jobs due to perceived political alliances. I am confident today that staff morale is at an all-time low with the threats of administrative instability.
"Demoralised staff are unproductive staff and our communities are the only ones that suffer.
'Racial undertones'
"I have confidence that although there was no name-calling on social media with this motion of no confidence, that there are racial undertones in this town that we cannot run away from.
"Despite all of this, I have confidence in my passion to change the lives of our people. I have confidence in the vision and mission of Plett Democratic Congress to be for the people by the people. I am Claude Terblanche and I am a servant of the people."
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