Unprecedented action was taken on Wednesday to try restore law and order in the turbulent town of Oudtshoorn. Hardy Mills and leaders of the ANC chose to enforce the court’s decision for Municipal Manager (and ANC member), Thandekile Mnyimba, to vacate his post. The news report below will explain all that transpired.
The question to our readers is: Was this too drastic an action or was this the moral path of action?
OUDTSHOORN NUUS (REPORTED HANNES VISSER)
Hardy Mills (met geel hemp) en Marius Murths gesels met polisielede buite die munisipaliteit Woensdag tydens die besoek om Mnyimba te versoek om sy kantoor te ontruim. Mnyimba het egter die gebou verlaat voordat Mills opgedaag het (foto – Hannes Visser)
Bekommerde ANC lede, wat volgens ‘n betroubare bron bykans 90% van die ANC takke in die Eden-streek insluit, het Woensdag toegetree tot die stryd om van munisipale bestuurder Thandekile Mnyimba ontslae te raak en burgemeester April in die bek te ruk.
Die bekende prokureur Hardy Mills, een van die besorgde ANC streekleiers, was Woensdag in Mnyimba se kantoor om hom te versoek om gehoor te gee aan die hooggeregshofuitspraak wat op 1 Junie bevind het dat sy aanstelling nietig verklaar is en sy kantoor ontruim. Indien hy sou weier sou hy amptelik per brief in kennis gestel word om te ontruim en sou hy daarna steeds weier sou die polisie se hulp ingeroep word om hom te verwyder.
Mnyimba was egter nie op kantoor nie, dit blyk uit inligting wat intussen ontvang is dat gerugte dat hy inderhaas Kaap toe is onjuis was en dat hy iewers in die dorp was.
Die ANC optrede volg op ‘n hele string aksies wat deur onder andere die DA/Cope koalisie en verskeie burgerregte organisasies geloods is om Mnyimba uit sy kantoor uit te kry. Die optredes is verskerp nadat die burgemeester Gordon April verlede week Kaap toe was om aansoek te doen vir ‘n dringende interdik teen ‘n besluit van sy eie raad op 26 Julie waarvolgens hy aangesê word om Mnyimba die trekpas te gee.
April het geweier om die raadsbesluit uit te voer. Die regter het Vrydag egter te kenne gegee dat die interdik nie dringend is nie en het dit op die rol geplaas om op 1 November aangehoor te word.
Teen saktyd gisteroggend het die Oudtshoorn Courant verneem dat ‘n dringende raadsvergadering belê is wat gistermiddag om 17:00 sou plaasvind. Volgens inligting sou drie besluite op die vergadering voorgelê word vir uitvoering:
Opdrag word met onmiddelike effek aan Mnyimba gegee dat hy sy kantoor moet ontruim.
‘n Aanstellingsbrief word aan Alan Paulse gegee as nuwe munisipale bestuurder.
Die delegasiemagte van die uitvoerende burgemeester word ingeperk en oorgedra aan die munisipale administrasie wat beteken dat die burgemeester nie meer die gesag het om bsluite te neem wat die bestuur van die munisipaliteit beinvloed nie.
Mills het Woensdagmiddag gesê dat politieke verskille op hierdie stadium in Oudtshoorn nie op die voorgrond moet wees nie, maar dat die goeie en deursigtige bestuur van Oudtshoorn teen alle koste herstel moet word. Die DA se hoofsweep het vroeër die dag ook bevestig dat hulle alles moontlik in die stryd werp om die diktatorskap wat April volgens hom handhaaf, die nek in te slaan.
One of my biggest criticisms of the ANC is that it doesn’t monitor, punish and correct itself. This action is one of the best pieces of news i’ve read this year. It’s a true step towards democracy! I hope that i see many more.
This is a disaster, how can this happen, we must all stand together to ensure that we can proceed with growth. Come on people!!!!
I fully support the actions of Mills and the concerned ANC members. Mnyimba and April must go. Whats happening in Oudtmun is thievery by some of our own comrades. There is nothing political in the appointment of Mnyimba. He was just appointed to channel tenders and appointments to certain so called empowerment comrades. Thats the facts.
[WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ’0 which is not a hashcash value.
The ANC in Oudtshoorn is a discrace for us! Give them hell!!
I agree with this action.Unlawful conduct like Mnyimba’s should not be tolerated. Someone needed to make a firm stand.
As a loyal member of the ANC all these years who just stood silently by and watched the action of individuals, destroying the very nature and character of this organization. I believe that no longer can I stand silent while the moral fibre of this great organization is being torn apart piece by piece. I am prepared in this war on true justice to be expelled from a home that I have known since I started my interest in community and political matters. Furthermore why can’t people just accept defeat if it is in the interest of perpetuating democracy in a positive sense.
God help us
Well said Marius
I wish to give my full support to the Concerned ANC MEMBERS, since I personally am gravely concerned about the state of the organization in the region. I am currently in deliberations with other ANCYL Branches in their respective sub-regions and am drumming up support for a regional mass action against these disgraceful actions in Oudtshoorn and the poor ANC Leadership in regard thereto. Bjorn Oria – Previous Deputy Secretary of the ANC YOUTH LEAGUE Bitou Sub-Region and Chairperson of the ANCYL Aldridge du Plessis Branch.
I hope Mills, Murths and the rest of the gang realize that their days in the ANC are numbered.
Ja ou Kevin, en ek is seker Kevin is nie eers jou regte naam nie. Ek ken al die sousvreters in Oudtshoorn en Kannaland en daar’s nie ‘n Kevin nie. Op grond waarvan sal hulle geskors word, omdat hulle die wet gehoorsaam en staan vir skoon regering? Hah!
Kevin are you going to determine that? Take us through a dc and we will see. You and your ilk want to stop us because we are interfering with your shopping spree in Oudtshoorn. Ja we are waitingbfor you! Any qtempt to intimidate us will not succeed. Have nice week-end.
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Vat hulle vas manne, ek se al van hoeka af ‘n paar vente in onse geliefde ANC is te groot vir hulle skoene!!
Kevin,why are u picking on Hardy and Marius,there were other cdes that were present during the incidents why don’t you mention them as well or is this aready a preconceived witch hunt
Yes Kevin you forgot to mention my name. I was there and i am not regretting my actions. You must very upset that we are interfering with your shopping spree in Oudtshoorn! What you must understand is that our actions were not directed at the ANC but at people who are enriching themselves and defying the rule of law in the nameof the ANC. If we are syanding on the sidelines allowing you and your ilk to destroy the ANC , we will be harshly judge by our children.Should you and your gang of looters decide to take action against us, you will be surely mistaken. You must be very clear about the charges you will be levelling against us.
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I did not see you there or else I would have mentioned you too Enrico. I do have a lot of respect for you and Mills and for a couple of the other rebels but I cannot bring myself to accept that what you have done is right. How do you think Thandekile must have felt after having to hide in the back seat of his car when fleeing from the municipality Enrico? Don’t you feel bad that you scared and intimidated him in such a bad way that he decided to rather escape from you than face you? I feel sorry for him.
Enrico. Despite of my deep respect for Mills I do however think that he should have approached it in a more civilized manner and not in such a hostile way. Remember that we are all still comrades despite of our differences and should treat each other that way. I will monitor this situation closely and will reveal my identity when you are kicked out of the ANC. I am convinced that if you would have only raised your concerns privately with Putco he would have conceded your arguments (I admit your points do have merit) and everything would have been fine and discreet. We could have been spared the huge embarrassment our brothers suffered because of your drastic line of action.
Kevin, are you in support of financial disaster in your town Are you in support of people dying from mal nourishment? Do you understand the DEATH that the corruption and maladministration brings to our people and town? Do something another way? Get realy man. The blood must be on your hands then!!!
So would you wait until we are kicked out of the ANC to reveal your identity? What was political rationale for the appointment of Mnyimba? If there is indeed a political ratonale, then why did the ANC regional leadership failed to explain same to at least the Oudtshoorn ANC councillors? The fact of the matter is that when two comrades apply for the same position, it would be fair and reasonable to appoint the comrade who did the best in the overall assessment. The ANC leadership in this region and in the province did not explain to Cde Allen Paulse why they did not want to appoint him. Now if you and it seems to me that you are very influential in the movement, is of the opinion that we must be expelled from the ANC because of our stance for what is right and in the interest of the movement, then sobe it. I can boldly tell you that your efforts to get us expelled will not be so easy and it will take you very very much longer than you have anticipated to reveal your true identity. But nou ja you have already exposed yourself.
Look guys I don’t even care anymore I have never been in the inner circle of the ANC fat cats and I am not expecting to be there now. From my perspective I believe that the DA should go on and govern this province till Jesus comes back. If we act in this disgraceful manner in two municipalities where we can make a difference in governance what are we going to do when we take the Province back. So I really don’t give a flying kite about what Putco might do to me, he in any case has more to lose then gain.
But I also know this great organization gives everyone a fair chance in presenting there cases.
The ANC has got a tradition of victimizing people that disagrees with the leadership. Then I cannot disagree with Marius that he will rather have us in opposition then in governance in this Province if that is how our leaders are dealing with robust debate.
Political parties, a broader term, have a history of intolerance and victimization of its own that speak out.
Wicked Mike I don’t know any other political party then the one I have belonged to all my years, so I don’t have any thing to say about how other parties deal with their people. I only know my own.
If that makes sense to you.
That shows remarkable restraint:) If i had to extend that attitude into hope it would be for every political party, organisation or government body to rather sort their corners than distract from their messes with fingers pointed at opposition or critics.
is dit hoe die ANC nou deel met hulle kamerade, ons kan maar net sowel in Zimbabwe bly
Zimbabwe is better. Daar het die mense nog respek vir mekaar en verkrag nie hulle oumas nie. You know what, there is no politics involved in all this mess we are finding ourselves in the Western Cape. We have the worst crop of leaders and this goes for national also. After Polokwane the ANC has descended into a chaotic organisation with people joining the ANC in order to get tenders. All that the young comrades can talk about is tenders. And this attitude has trickled down to local level. Its so sad.
The looting is continuing unabated at Oudtshoorn Municipality. It now seems that if Mnyimba is the acting municipal manager. Now this is very strange. How did he become the acting municipal manager? Is the ANC now accepting the fact that he was never the MM? Somebody must please tell the so-called comrades in Oudtshoorn that only the Council can appoint an acting MM. Putco is supposed to know this since he is responsible for giving political guidance to the councillors, but it seems that he needs political guidance. We are so fucked with these people who are supposed to be our leaders. The DA does not have to campaign for the next elections, we (ANC) are doing it for them.